Bolton's Girl
by Kaden-san
Summary: Troy Bolton has the status of unattainable and every girl at East High is desperate to break that by any means necessary. Is the fragile, but beautiful Gabriella Montez the one to break Troy's status? "After all, I'm Bolton's girl." "She's my girl."
1. Meeting Gabriella

Troy Bolton strolled down the hallway, white and red Wildcat blazer un-zipped to reveal his plain white t-shirt, and his arms swung at his side in a carefree manner. His baby blue eyes radiated his signature confidence and a wicked streak of mischievousness but the damn deceptive and sexy smile that adorned lips is what made him the absolute number one pined after male at East High high school in Albuquerque New Mexico.

"Hoops!"

Troy caught the chest pass that flew with an unerring line to his head and twirled the pebbled orange ball on his index finger as his wild afro haired, African American best brother-friend walked over to his side with an utter look of disbelief on his face. Troy chuckled at this and bounce passed the basketball back to Chad, who caught it and placed it on his hip.

"Hey Chad, what's up?"

The two basketball studs walked down the hallway and threaded their way through crowded hustle and bustle throngs of students. They bumped fists and high fived with various students they passed and Chad banged the doors to the cavernous cafeteria open with a loud boom. The noisy cafeteria fell silent at the sound, the students wondering who caused the commotion and Chad cupped his large hands around his mouth.

"What team?"

"Wildcats!"

The cafeteria thundered with the roar of the students and the unanimous stomp and clap of the East High Wildcat's signature cheer. Even a few of the teachers participated and the others didn't even bother to try and stop the students'.

"What team?"

"Wildcats!"

"Wildcats!"

"Get your head in the game!"

The crowd roared out the finish of the cheer and clapped as their varsity captain Troy Bolton and crowd favorite Chad Danforth entered the cafeteria. Troy smiled and shook his head at Chad's antics as walked over to his table in the center of the room. Zeke, the tall African American center of the basketball team bumped fists with Troy and pulled his cookbook up off Troy's seat at the table.

"Troy!"

Troy sat down to be bombarded by a flash of blonde hair and pink sequins named Sharpay Evans. He gave her a warm hug and she kissed his cheek before she resumed her position of being snuggled deep into Zeke's lanky side. Troy pulled the contents of his lunch out of his bag and rolled his eyes at the argument between Chad and his girlfriend Taylor, the girl in who in the next moment smacked Chad in the back of the head but had a secret smile on her face as Chad rubbed the back of his head.

"Hello everyone. How are you all today?"

Troy smiled another warm, soft smile as the second famous couple, dubbed 'the musicals', Kelsi Neilson and Ryan Evans walked over to the table fingers woven together in a tight embrace. Kelsi kissed Troy's cheek like Sharpay did and Ryan shook his hand before they sat down and pulled out their famous shared lunch in a small cooler.

"I'm fine and I think I'll speak for everyone else and say that they are fine as well. How's the musical coming you two?"

Kelsi's face adopted a dreamy look at Troy's inquiry and Ryan's face brightened up like a kid on Christmas morning. Sharpay squealed, clapped her hands together and the three launched into an excited and heated debate or…discussion. Troy smiled in victory to himself and ate his lunch in silence.

"So Troy, who was that Latina girl from the club last night?"

Troy's head hit the table when he caught Taylor's triumphant and devilish smirk and he threw his hands in the air. The table quieted down at this and Troy didn't need to raise his head to know that they were all focused in on his odd behavior.

"No one Taylor."

Troy felt the back of his head burn from all three girls' intensive stares and he winced when Sharpay plucked him on the back of his head. He sat up to lean in the back of his chair and stared up at the ceiling like the high arches were the most interesting things he had seen.

"Troy Bolton if you don't spill the details right now…"

Troy tore his gaze away from the ceiling and stared at Sharpay like a deer in the headlights but his eyes threatened to bug out of his head when his blue-eyed gaze fell upon an angel from heaven resplendent in a white summer dress at the doorway of the cafeteria. His chair scraped backwards as he vaulted out of his chair and hurried over to the angel.

"Brie?"

The angel's shiny black curls bounced as she turned her head and brown, gold speckled mocha eyes met baby blue while a beautiful, shy smile formed on her perfect face and a goofy one broke out across Troy's. He pulled her slender, delicate frame towards his hard muscled one and her head nestled against his solid chest.

"Troy, I'm so glad you're here. I got lost in the hallways and had to have a teacher direct me to the cafeteria."

Troy chuckled at her hesitant tone and he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. She leaned into his side, her books held in both hands in front of her chest and her head nestled into his shoulder. Troy walked back over to his table and pulled Gabriella into his lap. The beautiful Latina blushed at all the attention she received and buried her face in the crook of his neck.

"What the hell Bolton. Explain."

Troy chuckled again and wrapped both arms around Gabriella. He kissed her temple and whispered something in her ear.

"Taylor, this is the Latina girl you saw dancing with me last night at Club Neon and I'm proud to introduce Gabriella Montez, my girlfriend of two months."

The whole cafeteria stilled at Troy's comment as all eyes had focused in on the couple when Troy had hugged Gabriella to him in such a possessive manner at the cafeteria's doorway and two or three high-pitched feminine screams echoed around the cafeteria. A warm smile broke out across Kelsi, Taylor and Sharpay's faces as they saw the protective way Troy held Gabriella close to him and how trusting her hold was on him.

"Well now, seems the mighty Troy Bolton has become whipped."

Troy glared at Chad but he and Zeke just shook their heads and high fived each other from across the table. Troy let it go with a roll of his eyes.

"Just like you and Zeke are whipped by Taylor and Sharpay."

The two boys' smiled and shrugged at Troy's response. Troy rolled his eyes again but pulled Gabriella's fragile body closer to his and saw that she had managed to gather enough courage to peek out from the crook of his neck.

"Don't worry Brie, they don't bite and the girls are very nice once you get through their game of twenty questions. Well, the questions come from Sharpay and Taylor but Kelsi will counter balance their bluntness with her personality."

"Troy! You make us seem like…like…"

Troy raised an eyebrow at Taylor and dared her to finish that sentence. The girl huffed and crossed her arms across her chest but smiled when Chad wrapped an arm around her shoulder to pull her against his side. Troy offered Gabriella a slice of his apple and she took it from him. Sharpay cooed at them and Taylor cleared her throat.

"So Gabriella how _did_ you manage to tie down the untamable Wildcat basketball superstar?"

It was only Gabriella's melodic, soft giggle and her gleaming eyes that made his uncomfortable expression at Taylor's choice in words bearable. He distracted himself by playing with one of Gabriella's curls.

"I don't know. We just clicked I suppose."

Sharpay whined from her spot in Zeke's side and waved a manicured hand. Kelsi and Taylor looked interested as well.

"Come on, come on. There's more to the story then you're letting on."

Gabriella finished the slice of apple and shook her head when Troy offered her another. The couple had a contest of wills between their eyes and a stern look overcame Troy's face. The silent conversation continued until Gabriella took the apple and Troy rubbed soothing circles over Gabriella's stomach. The other people at the table looked at each other in confusion and then back at the new couple.

"No, I'm not a controlling boyfriend girls. I'm just following Ms. Montez's orders about Gabriella's….hey hey um, guys we have an extra hour tacked onto our practice today for another strategy session about the state game in two days."

Gabriella stopped chewing on the apple slice and looked down at her hands, which folded over her stomach in an instant. Troy caught this and lifted Gabriella's face with two strong fingers underneath her chin so their eyes met. They held another silent conversation with their eyes and this time Troy's eyes pleaded something unspoken but heartbreaking with Gabriella's.

"Um, Troy, Gabriella, would you mind telling us what's going on?"

"You tell them Troy."

Troy shook his head and pulled Gabriella closer to him. It was comfortable to him how she rested back against his chest and her head pillowed in his shoulder.

"Brie, you're never going to get stronger if you don't have the strength to tell other people."

Gabriella looked down at her hands that still covered her stomach and a pregnant silence suspended down over the table. Kelsi reached out across the table and took one of Gabriella's hands away from her stomach. Ryan did the same with the other hand and the musical couple stared into Gabriella's frightened eyes. Ryan smiled as did Kelsi and they squeezed Gabriella's hands.

"Don't worry about it Gabriella, you can tell us when you're ready."

Gabriella nodded and dozed in Troy's arms with a small yawn. Troy smiled down at her and shrugged his Wildcat blazer off so he could wrap it around her slender frame like a blanket. Gabriella wasn't used to a full school day and usually took naps at this time in the afternoon.

"Gabriella used to be an anorexic and then until a couple of weeks ago, a bulimic. She's a kick ass dancer and if you plead with her long enough, she'll sing for you. When her father left her and her mother two months ago, that's when Gabriella's whole eating disorders manifested and she had to transfer to a clinic from her old school."

Troy rubbed his hands up and down Gabriella's back when she stirred in her sleep and she smiled contentedly before falling back asleep. The look of adoration and protectiveness on Troy's face stunned everyone at the table and they all shared a look between them.

"After she got released from the clinic, her mother's company transferred her here to Albuquerque and she now attends East High to my delight. I met her out of the city when I went to that basketball clinic three months ago that my dad sent me to. I had just gotten out of a hard basketball practice hours before and decided to unwind at the local club the Phoenix."

The girls smiled as Troy's face changed as he went down memory lane and the guys smirked. Memories flashed before Troy's eyes and he smiled.

"There she was out on the dance floor, moving, twirling and shaking her body to the beat of the music. Her jeans hugged her hips and her baby doll t-shirt swayed all around her as she moved. I walked up to her and she pulled me close so we could dance as one. Goodness, what a dance we danced and everyone cleared the dance floor to watch us. We didn't realize we had an audience until after the song ended and everyone started to clap and cheer."

The shrill bell that signaled the end of the period blared out through the cafeteria and everyone at the table groaned as Troy's dreamy, hazed eyes cleared and he snapped back to the present. Gabriella awoke with a start and Troy tightened his hold around her as she began to struggle.

"Brie, relax, I'm here and no one is going to hurt you."

Gabriella relaxed at the soothing sound of Troy's voice and balled her fist into his shirt. Troy untangled himself from their embrace and stood up. Gabriella stood up as well and fitted her frame against his. The rest of the gang stood up and surrounded Gabriella. Chad held open his arms and cocked his head to the side.

"Hey Gabster, I hope you don't mind if I call you that, nicknames make it easier for me to remember names. Anyway, you mind if we give you a group hug? It's just our way of accepting a new person into our elite circle of friendliness."

Gabriella smiled and the room lit up just a little bit more. She nodded and walked into Chad's wide embrace. Everyone else laughed and hugged some part of Gabriella's slender frame in a massive tangle of arms and group hug. They all pulled away and walked out of the cafeteria, each girl linked with their respective guy in some way. Sharpay sidled up next to Gabriella and eyed her up and down.

"Damn Gabriella, you are a natural beauty. You didn't use any make up did you?"

"Just a little bit."

Taylor shook her head in amazement and Sharpay's eyes widened. Troy rolled his eyes because Sharpay lived in makeup and beauty accessories.

"No way. I thought you went all natural but you did huh?"

Gabriella nodded and looked at Kelsi in confusion. The talented musician girl laughed and shook her head.

"Sharpay is East High's resident Drama queen and co-president to the theater with her brother and my boyfriend, Ryan Evans."

Ryan tugged Kelsi's hand until they walked on the other side of Gabriella and he smiled down at her. Troy hoped that Gabriella would get along with these two as it would be a damn shame if she didn't join the music programs here at East High.

"So Troy here tells us you sing and dance. Ever done any theater?"

Gabriella turned, hit Troy in the chest as hard as her small hand would allow and glared up at him. Troy scoffed, his cheeks tinted a light red and he focused his eyes up on the ceiling. Gabriella scoffed and turned her attention back to Ryan.

"I used to dance and I don't sing that well so no, I didn't do any theater."

"Would you stay after school and sing for Kelsi and I in one of the music rooms?"

Gabriella glared at Troy again and Troy looked back up at the ceiling. He was doing his best not to grin because he knew that Gabriella wanted to get back into the musical hobbies she had and Ryan and Kelsi would be able to help her.

"Why did you tell them all this?"

"What? I have no idea what you're talking about."

Taylor rolled her eyes and with a hesitant hand reached to pull Gabriella into the advanced chemistry class she had with her after she read Gabriella's schedule in her hand. Gabriella started at Taylor's touch but relaxed and looked up at Troy. Troy smiled, dipped his head and pressed his lips to hers for a gentle, sweet kiss. The girls all awed at the sweetness of the kiss and Gabriella blushed as she ducked into the classroom with Taylor.

* * *

Emma Stone glared from across the hallway as Gabriella slipped into the classroom with Taylor and her blood boiled as the kiss Gabriella had shared with Troy flashed across her mind. She huffed and stomped her foot on the tiled floor of East High. Her friends reached out and rubbed each of her arms in sympathy.

"What is that Latina skank doing near my Troy?"

"Emma, relax, their relationship won't last maybe…"

Emma snorted in defiance and crossed her arms across her low cut shirt.

"I'll make sure of that. No one deserves the title of Bolton's girl except me."

* * *

_Story Edited on 4/25/12_


	2. Sensual Gabriella & A Confrontation

_After School that Day_

Gabriella navigated her way down the main hallway of East High and hugged her bag over her stomach out of her protective reflex. She smiled at the lower classmen students' when they crossed her path to say hello and she tried her best to avoid the students in her grade. Word of Gabriella being Troy Bolton, basketball superstar and East High's Golden Boy girlfriend spread like unquenchable wild fire and made Gabriella's day long. If one of the gang members wasn't at her side, Gabriella could expect fellow classmates to inquire, pester and heckle her for details on her relationship with Troy.

"Well now, looks like the Latina skank stepped out of her boundaries and into mine. You know what that means girls. Grab her and hold her down."

Gabriella whipped her head around to identify the cold, high pitched nasal voice but flinched when two pairs of hands grabbed her arms and forced her to bend over. She struggled to break free of the grips of her holders but they dug their nails into Gabriella's arms and held her steadfast. The sharp contrast of the sound of two narrow high heels that circled around her to the silence of the hallway rang in Gabriella's ears like a giant gong and she looked up.

"Hello Gabriella."

Gabriella's eyes narrowed in confusion at the icy green eyes that glared down at her and her mind raced as she tried in vain to place those eyes with a name one of her new friends had given her. Her mind stopped racing the minute the girl that towered over her traced one lime green painted manicured nail down her high cheekbone and Gabriella pulled her head away.

"I wonder if Troy would like you so much if your so called 'gorgeous looks' were disfigured in anyway. I don't think he would be so willing to go to bed with you. What do you think girls?"

Gabriella's head wrenched to the side when the girl slapped her and the sound of her hand meeting Gabriella's face echoed down the hallway with a distinctive snap. Stars flew across Gabriella's eyes and she felt the muscles in her stomach begin to contract as one of her natural defense mechanisms to the unknown. The girl took a step back, her hands on her hips and her frosty glare bit down on Gabriella.

"Do you know who I am?"

"No, I'm afraid I don't. I don't think we had the opportunity to meet today."

Gabriella's blood boiled when the girl stepped back in Gabriella's personal space and plucked her on the forehead. She wriggled to break free from the iron grip of the other two girls that held her bent over but their grip just tightened a few more painful degrees.

"My name is Emma Stone, de facto princess of East High and now your worst nightmare."

"Please leave the drama to us professionals Miss Wannabe as you lack the talent for being an actress. If you could also please let go of my friend Gabriella that would be most appreciated as well."

A surge of happiness coursed through Gabriella's fragile, slender body at the authoritative tone that belonged to Sharpay Evans and she felt another pair of strong hands pull her out of her captors' grasps. She looked behind her, eyes widened in fear but she saw the warm twinkle in Ryan Evan's eyes and she went with him.

"Now the plot thickens and a new twist is brought to light. What is the former Ice Queen and co-drama club president doing down in the dancing wing of East High? This place is a far stones throw from the hallowed theater is it not?"

Gabriella fought the urge to cringe at the sarcasm and venom that dripped from every word that spewed forth from Emma's mouth. Her eyes traveled over to where Sharpay stood with her right hip jutted out in a defiant manner, her arms crossed beneath her chest and a wicked gleam in her fiery eyes. Gabriella understood where the nickname Ice Queen came from with the way Sharpay stood there and she took a step back with Ryan. Emma and Sharpay walked in a continuous circle around each other and the space between their eyes seemed to melt beneath their heated glares.

"I have to drive Gabriella home and imagine my surprise when I go to find her and she's being bitch-slapped by the former varsity cheerleader captain, dance captain and failed theater participant, Emma Stone. Please, that slap of yours could use some work as I'm positive my grandmother could hit harder than you do and if Gabriella wasn't such an angel, she could hit harder than you."

"You are out of line Evans."

Sharpay broke the circle and stepped in front of Emma's face. Gabriella cast a fearful look at Ryan but he just shrugged and his mouth threatened to break out into a wide smile. Sharpay's pouty lips turned upwards into another wicked smile and she snapped her fingers.

"We wouldn't want to have a repeat of years past now would we Emma? Huh?"

If looks could kill, Gabriella was positive that Sharpay would drop dead on the spot and then Gabriella and Ryan would follow not a moment later. The blatant threat that emanated from Emma's eyes towards Sharpay sent chills up Gabriella's spine but her mouth almost fell open at the extreme air of confidence Sharpay had around her.

"I didn't think so. Now, go run along back to wherever it is you sulk and scheme and don't come near my friend Gabriella Montez ever again. Or this little chance encounter will reach the administrative office and Troy. Toodles Emma."

Sharpay turned on her heel, walked past a proud Ryan and flabbergasted Gabriella and snapped her fingers over her head. When Gabriella looked back to where Emma stood she found that the other girl was stomping away in the opposite direction of Sharpay.

"Come now you two. I have a date with Zeke tonight and I want to look fabulous."

"Sure thing sis."

Ryan tugged on Gabriella's hand and they hurried after the whirlwind named Sharpay Evans. Gabriella prayed that one day she would have the same physical presence that Sharpay did and she prayed that it was sometime soon.

* * *

_One Hour Later at the Orphanage_

Gabriella scooped up the various plastic toys scattered all across the nurseries floor and kissed a two year olds forehead as she made her way to the giant toy box on the other side of the nursery. The little boy giggled and held up his arms, which made Gabriella's heart warm at the sight. She smiled a radiant smile down at the toddler and picked him up so their faces were inches apart.

"Hey Bennie. How you doing huh?"

"Swing! Swing!"

Gabriella laughed at Bennie's enthusiasm and shook her head. Bennie giggled when Gabriella's curls tickled his face and he tried to snatch one.

"Playground time is over for today Bennie but we can play all day tomorrow on the swings if you want."

Bennie gave a happy nod at this and gave Gabriella a slobbery, wet kiss on the faint red bruise on her cheek from were Emma had slapped her. Gabriella's eyes teared up and she narrowed her eyes at Bennie's action. His adorable little blue eyes widened and he stuck his thumb in his mouth but didn't let go of Gabriella's shirt with his other hand.

"You have an owie. Kiss makes it better. Mommy says so."

Gabriella's face glowed bright with happiness and she hugged Bennie to her but made sure to take his thumb out of his mouth. His hand curled into Gabriella's shirt like his other one.

"Thank you Bennie. My owie is all better now."

Bennie nodded and snuggled into Gabriella's thin frame, his thumb back in his mouth. Gabriella kissed the top of his blonde curls and swayed from side to side. She started to sing a soft lullaby and made her way over to the crib in the corner of the nursery. Her soft, melodic tone lulled the little boy into a comatose state and he didn't stir from his near slumber state when Gabriella lowered him into the crib. She tucked him in tight with the star covered fleece blanket and kissed his forehead.

"Sweet dreams Bennie baby."

Gabriella brushed a rogue curl out of the boy's face and sat down in the plush rocking chair placed at a strategic and convenient spot next to the crib. She crossed her legs and took a deep breath to reign in her emotions.

"Well aren't you just the darling mother in training Gabriella."

Gabriella looked up from the ground where she reached for her AP Biology textbook and saw her mother leaning over the horizontal split of the nursery door. She made sure to keep her bruised cheek away from her mother and smiled but the smile didn't reach her eyes. Ms. Montez walked through the door, shut the lower half of the door behind her and stood in front of her daughter with her hands on her hips. She titled her head to the side, a pained expression of understanding on her face as she saw that Gabriella kept her battered cheek away from her gaze.

"What happened after school today Gabriella?"

Gabriella and her mother's relationship was something to be envied by all mothers and daughters. There were no secrets between them, their lifestyle demanded that and Gabriella thanked God every day for how understanding and in tune with the teenage ways she was.

"I…well…the principal called you didn't he?"

Ms. Montez sat crossed legged on the floor in front of her daughter and leaned forward with her elbows on her knees. She looked like she could be Gabriella's older sister in this pose and many people did make this mistake from time to time.

"Yes, Mr. Matsui did call me when a junior friend of yours named Beth Stone reported the little discoloration on your cheek. He said he had called you down right after the girl left and you hedged your way around telling the truth. I know that you don't like to bring trouble to other students Gabriella, but your sweet nature is too much this time. What happened?"

Gabriella turned her face so her mother could see the faint discoloration on her cheek and sighed. She heard her mother's sharp intake of breath and then angry hiss.

"A girl named Emma Stone is jealous of my relationship with Troy and after school when I was walking through the halls she…jumped me with two of her 'friends'."

"And?"

"And Sharpay and Ryan Evans appeared like a Godsend and stopped our little chat."

Ms. Montez raised an eyebrow at Gabriella's choice of words and Gabriella blushed as she realized that was something Troy would say. Ms. Montez stood up and hugged her daughter.

"Come, I think that it is time for East High to know just how beautiful you are. Let's go home and get ready to play dirty."

* * *

Gabriella giggled at the sight in her room. Clothes were in various outfit pairings, accessories of all kinds were in a clutter on her expansive dresser top and there was a colorful mess on her vanity top called her makeup.

Her mother had driven her home all the while talking on her cell phone to three unidentified persons. When they had gotten home, their front door all but fell off its hinges when the blonde haired diva Sharpay blasted out of the house and pressed her overeager hands against Gabriella's window.

"Gabriella! Hurry, we need to get you ready for school tomorrow!"

Of course, that made Gabriella's suspicions raise but at one calm glance from her mother, she had allowed Sharpay to drag her up the stairs with Kelsi and Taylor not far behind. Gabriella heard her mother chuckle as she shut the front door to the house behind all of them and saw her mother amble into the kitchen to make a snack no doubt.

_"Sharpay you have one hour and then I'm bringing up snacks. I better see my mija's clothes ready to go or I'm never going to call on you for fashion advice again."_

Gabriella giggled at the memory of Sharpay's pale white face and the way her whole body trembled at her mother's dire threat. Gabriella knew that her mother had been kidding but she didn't say anything to Sharpay about it.

Now, Kelsi played with her stereo to get a new CD in, Taylor under Sharpay's frantic instructions organized her make up and Sharpay flitted all around Gabriella's room, never resting in one spot for more than a moment.

"Gabriella we'll be at your house around six thirty okay? Your mother said that's what time you wake up on most days and since we already have your outfit and makeup ready…"

Gabriella smiled at Sharpay from her spot in the middle of her bed (not allowed to leave by Sharpay's orders) and braided strings together to make a bracelet. Her door opened and her mother walked in with an enormous tray of assorted fruits and vegetables. Ms. Montez winked at Gabriella before she turned to face Sharpay and set the tray down at the foot of Gabriella's bed.

"Alright Sharpay you can have an hour's break and then we will work side by side to finish my daughter's outfit."

Gabriella giggled again as Sharpay tried to hide her relieved sigh and moved to get off her bed but a sharp squeal from Sharpay made her stop. Sharpay stood with her hands on her hips and glared at Gabriella.

"Oh no you don't! I did not work myself almost to death for you to mess up my hard work. You stay right there Gabriella Marie Montez until I say otherwise."

Gabriella raised an eyebrow at Sharpay but the blonde diva wouldn't budge and Gabriella slumped back into the pillows. Her mother chuckled and took several pictures before she shut the door behind her as she left. Kelsi eased herself down onto the bed next to Gabriella and Taylor flopped down on her back on the other side of Gabriella.

"Gabriella if I didn't know how to read faces so well I would have thought your mother was serious in her threat on Sharpay."

Gabriella patted Taylor's shoulder in sympathy and giggled again at Sharpay's shocked expression. The blonde haired diva tackled Gabriella flat on her back on her bed and pinned her upper body down with her hands.

"You mean to tell me that your mother is not sincere in her threats in the slightest and that I've almost worked myself to death for nothing?"

Gabriella giggled at the frantic look in Sharpay's eyes mixed with a little anger and nodded. The windows should have broken from Sharpay's screech of annoyance but they remained intact. In a twist of her body and credit to her incredible flexibility, Gabriella shimmied her way out of Sharpay's grasp and onto the other side of her bed, behind Kelsi. Sharpay raised an eyebrow in curiosity and the other two girl's mouths hung open in shock. Gabriella looked down, a blush on her face and fiddled with her fingers.

"You three know that I used to dance so don't look so surprised at what I just did."

Sharpay shook her head and wagged her index finger at Gabriella. Taylor and Kelsi nodded in agreement with Sharpay's wagging finger.

"Just how good of a dancer are you?"

Gabriella shrugged and picked back up the bracelet she had started to braid. The simple movements of her fingers distracted her from the painful memories and she didn't look up from her braiding.

"Won a few trophies here and there but nothing special."

Taylor shook her head at Sharpay when Gabriella looked away in embarrassment and Sharpay leaped off Gabriella's bed. She landed light as could be and struck a pose.

"Alright girls, I think we can leave Ella to her own devices until we adjourn tomorrow morning. Everybody exit stage right."

Gabriella fell off her bed laughing when Sharpay thrust her nose into the air and stage marched out the door in an over-dramatic way. Sometimes she wondered at her friend's sanity….

* * *

_The Next Morning at East High_

Troy spun the basketball on his finger and scanned for his brown-eyed beauty of a girlfriend in the crowded hallway. He had called her cell phone after school to get a very stressed out and annoyed sounding Sharpay Evans and was told that he couldn't see Gabriella until this morning. The usual crowd of jocks that surrounded him pressed close since Gabriella had yet to arrive and each person vied for his sole attention but he found his usual patience fading fast. He turned his head towards the front doors of the school when he heard Zeke gasp along with Chad and his mouth fell open.

"Holy…"

Gabriella danced and skipped her way with Sharpay over to where he stood rooted to the floor by his locker and he saw Taylor and Kelsi walking with idiotic grins on their faces a couple steps behind. Troy's inspection started at her feet where she wore simple satin white ballet flats, traveled up her gorgeous toned legs (made him drool….almost…but he caught himself), over her ripped denim skirt and her _tight_ baby blue baby tee. Troy had seen her dance and knew that she had sensual curves but his blood boiled in his veins as her outfit defined those curves instead of her usual style of hiding them. He blushed when he met her eyes that twinkled with a knowing gleam and he took in her usual light make up with a goofy grin of his own.

"Goodness Gabster you're looking to kill the entire male population in East High today. And since I'm your big brother it will be my duty to tell the boys that are staring at you to close their mouths and get their minds out of the gutter before I remove their eyes."

Troy looked at Chad and found the energy to close the distance between him and Gabriella in one step. He hauled her body against his and kissed her with so much intensity that the hallway erupted into loud catcalls but both teenagers ignored them with smiles on their faces as they continued to kiss. Troy broke away and his smile got a whole lot goofier when Gabriella laid her head against his chest and closed her eyes.

"You look beautiful Brie."

Sharpay fit herself into Zeke's side and high fived Taylor and Kelsi. The homeroom bell rang then and the gang made their way to Ms. Darbus's classroom.

* * *

Gabriella walked into homeroom, her books held close to her chest and smiled as Troy's fingers slipped down from her shoulders to her lower back. She enjoyed the warm tingles that lingered after his fingers moved on to find resting place on her back and she giggled when his hand moved again. Troy sat down in his desk chair and pulled Gabriella onto his lap, eager to keep a physical link between them. Gabriella settled herself onto his lap, ignored the noises of the classroom and pulled out her small black notebook with a silver music on the front cover.

"…yeah Hoops made this one reverse lay-up…"

Gabriella opened the book to a half written page and read over what she wrote last night. She rummaged through her bag for her favorite silver pen and analyzed the lyrics on the page with the pen poised over the lines, ready to make a correction. Troy had told them that she could sing like an angel and she had blushed when she found out.

Gabriella could sing but her passion to perform whether it is singing or dancing disappeared when her father moved away. However, then Troy had entered her life with his energy, radiant smile and overwhelming sense of purpose and confidence. He had swooped down to her side, taken her bruised and battered body and spirit in his strong, gentle arms and set her back on her feet. Little by little Gabriella began to recover and take back her fiery spirit, but not yet. For now she sat in Troy's protective embrace and wrote out the feelings and emotions that whirred around in her head.

"What are you writing?"

Gabriella's head snapped up and she focused her eyes around to see who spoke to her. She turned her head around and met Kelsi's kind, warm stare. Troy had told her about Kelsi's passion for music and in the quiet moments between them had encouraged her to show her music to Kelsi.

"Um…just some of thoughts running around in my head. Writing them into um, lyrics helps me organize my thoughts and to put something or everything into perspective."

Gabriella blushed, not sure if Kelsi would find her reason childish but Troy's warm hand on her thigh calmed her nerves. She reached her small hand to his much larger one and squeezed, desperate for a measure of something familiar. Troy understood her fear and pulled her closer to his body.

"Can I have a look at what you're working on?"

Gabriella stared hard into Kelsi's eyes, trying to find any other expression than genuine curiosity. Kelsi's warm gaze never faltered and Gabriella stared back down at her lyrics. Her confidence waned and she flipped to a song she had shown Troy a couple of days ago before she handed her song book to Kelsi. Sharpay and Ryan stopped their debate on this year's musical in an instant to watch Kelsi's face as she read Gabriella's song. Gabriella blushed and rose to escape the room but Troy tightened his hold on her waist and he kissed the crook of her neck.

"And _you _wrote this?

"Um…yeah."

Kelsi's fingers moved to flip to the next song but she didn't and handed the book back to Gabriella, much to the shy Latina's relief. Sharpay bounced in her seat and Ryan took a tight hold of Kelsi so he wouldn't do the same.

"Well? What did she write?"

"Something wonderful Sharpay but I won't share unless she wants me to."

Sharpay turned to Gabriella, eagerness in her eyes but Gabriella's comfort level had all but disappeared and she shook her head no. Sharpay pouted but at a quick glare from Ryan smiled and bounced again in her seat.

"Ooooh! I know! There are callbacks auditions for choir and chorus toady. Gabriella can audition there."

Gabriella's eyes widened and she shook her head so hard that her curls flashed across her face in a heavy blur.

"No, no, no! I don't sing near well enough to try out for a call back. Troy shut up. And there is only one spot left for a callback with fifty people trying out for that spot."

Gabriella's anxiety spilled over to the point where she wriggled out of Troy's embrace, her beautiful eyes filled with fear and her music book clutched to her chest. A nasal giggle echoed from their homeroom and Gabriella turned to see Emma in the doorway. The clatter of her heels echoed down the aisle and stopped when she stood in front of Gabriella.

"Of course _you_ would be nervous _Gabriella_ and you should be. Ms. Darbus doesn't hear anyone except the best and fewer get a callback. You'll have to beat me too."

Emma pushed past Gabriella, a wicked smile on her face and Gabriella's eyes filtered between fear, anger and determination. Emma had made her intentions clear about her and Troy but Gabriella refused to break and tell Troy about her confrontation with Emma.

"Don't worry Emma, I'm sure your voice is beautiful, being as you were Sharpay's understudy all these years, but I will be there during the auditions and I won't back down."

Emma stopped short of her desk, turned on her heel and marched back into Gabriella's personal space. A hiss escaped her lips and her knuckles were bone white as she made pointy little fists. Silence swooped down on the classroom, every student stunned into silence and betting pools started on the spot. Everyone knew that Sharpay was the voice of theater and Emma just waited for her chance as an understudy but no one dared to challenge Emma.

"Gabriella, Emma I am sure that this little confrontation can be settled outside of my homeroom."

Both girls sprang apart at the sound of Ms. Darbus's voice and backed away from each other until they fell into their seats. No one paid attention to Ms. Darbus's usual homeroom speech and Gabriella raced out of the classroom ahead of _everyone_. Troy cursed his popularity as people vied for his attention and Gabriella disappeared into the hallway. When Troy disentangled himself from the crowd and sprinted to the end of the hallway Gabriella couldn't be found. The rest of the gang caught up except Troy noticed Kelsi's absence and a flicker of hope crept across his body.

"Where's Kelsi?"

Ryan placed a hand on Troy's shoulder and gave him a reassuring smile.

"She went after Gabriella."

* * *

_Story Edited on 4/25/12_


	3. Heartache Brings Us Closer Together

Gabriella hurried through the hallways after the bell rang and slipped into the music room. The noise of the hustle and bustle deadened in the near soundproof room and every instrument seemed to glow with an unnatural beauty under the afternoon Albuquerque sun. Gabriella strolled between the aisles of the instruments and ran a hand over the surface of each instrument she passed with profound admiration and respect in her eyes.

"Oh."

She stopped her wandering behind the ivory keys of the black grand piano and tears misted in her saddened eyes. Before the rational part of her brain could stop her emotional heart, Gabriella sat down on the piano's seat and started to play a song burned into her heart. The music room filled to the brim with the heart-wrenching melody of her song but she couldn't sing as her throat was clogged with her own choking emotions. Memories of her past, both pleasant and unpleasant flashed in her mind's eye and echoed throughout the room in a fluctuating melody. Her emotions surged through her fingertips in one last brilliant flash of her fingers and then the room fell silent once more.

"You play much better than Troy gave you credit for."

Gabriella spun around on the piano chair and saw Kelsi leaning against a pillar with her arms crossed underneath her chest and her eyes closed. A smirk tugged at her lips and she opened her eyes to look into Gabriella's embarrassed ones.

"Do you have any lyrics to go with the song?"

Gabriella shook her head and stood up from the piano seat. She gave the ivories one last caress and stepped away from the piano.

"I can't sing while I play because it's too hard and I'm not _that_ good."

Kelsi sat down on the vacant piano seat and Gabriella took another step back. Her emotional walls sprang back up like a well-used shield and she felt too vulnerable with Kelsi hearing her play that song.

"You're not good enough or your emotions are too strong and you can't find the words to express the rawness of them?"

Gabriella looked down and worried her bottom lip out of another nervous habit. She could feel Kelsi's patient and expectant eyes behind the shield of her brown curls.

"I can't sing because…of the second reason."

"Then if you want, we can practice so you can sing one of your songs from your little music book at the callbacks."

Gabriella sat back down on the piano seat and Kelsi pulled out a tape recorder. Gabriella pulled out her lyric notebook and took a deep breath to relax her nerves.

"I need you to play that piece again so I can listen to it at home and help you make lyrics for it."

Nervousness crept up again but Gabriella's old fiery determination ran anew through her veins and she began to play after Kelsi started the tape recorder. Maybe with Kelsi helping shoulder the burden would make it would be less painful.

* * *

_After School_

Gabriella placed the microphone down on the edge of the piano and looked over at Kelsi with an embarrassed look in her eyes. Kelsi's mouth hung open in quiet amazement and she flashed Gabriella two thumbs up.

"I thought you said that you didn't have any lyrics for that piece you played on the piano?"

Gabriella looked down at her feet and smiled a little. She held up her little black music book from behind the music stand from where it rested.

"You have songs like _that_ in there?"

Gabriella nodded as she didn't trust her voice at the moment and thought back on the day. After Gabriella came out of her shell after the first piano piece she had played, her fiery passion burst forth from her lips and fingertips without restraint. She played the few piano pieces she knew for Kelsi to memorize and then scrolled through the songs in her music book.

Since the championship state game loomed on the horizon, just two days away, none of the teachers handed out too much class work or homework and the girls acquired a pass from Darbus to be in the music room all day. Mrs. Darbus had been overjoyed to learn that Gabriella had chosen to sing and gave her a slot in the race for the final callback position. Ryan slipped into the music room to hand them lunch and promised to keep Troy under control.

"And that song's name is?"

"_The Last Night_."

Kelsi sat down on the piano next to Gabriella and finished her lunch. Gabriella finished her carrots and collected her trash.

"Your songs are moving and have a theme of redemption but they are all so sad. Do you have any light and happy songs?"

Gabriella put Kelsi's trash in her lunch bag and walked over to the garbage can to throw it out. On her return she flipped to a certain page in her music book and slid it across the surface of the piano to Kelsi.

"There aren't that many happy moments in my childhood as my parents fought for most of it and they split a few years back."

Gabriella paused at the end of her statement as her mental calendar ticked off another day to the three years, eleven months and thirty days that her father had left them and she wondered for a moment if would ever return. She doubted it but she never really thought about it much because she didn't know how she would react.

"When Troy entered my life, all of a sudden I had a brief moment of inspiration to write something happy. But I'm playing this song close to my chest and am a little um…secretive about it."

Kelsi smiled and nodded her head. Gabriella's phone rang and she hopped off the piano to answer it.

"Hi mom. What's up?"

_"Mija, honey, I'm so sorry to disturb you as I have read your text message but something important has come up and I need you home right away."_

Gabriella gripped the phone tighter in her hand and turned her back on Kelsi. Her mother never called her 'honey' unless something bad had happened.

"Everything alright Mom?"

_"Yes, mija, everything is alright and I am fine."_

"Okay mom I'll see you in a little bit."

Gabriella put her phone in her pocket and turned a shaky smile at Kelsi. Kelsi's eyes clouded over with worry and she moved to touch Gabriella's arm. Gabriella flinched and hurried to the door.

"Gabriella?"

"My mother needs me home. I'm so sorry Kelsi but I have to get home."

Before Kelsi could speak again Gabriella ran through the door and out into the hallway. Troy sprang up off the wall where he waited for Gabriella but his eyes changed from excited to worried and he kept pace with Gabriella. Experience told him to keep his distance and not to speak but the look on Gabriella's face was different. He unlocked his faithful, rusty pick-up truck and Gabriella clambered in. Troy entered through the driver's side and fired up his truck.

"Where to Brie?"

"Home."

Gabriella was grateful that Troy didn't speak and hurtled out of the passenger side door even before Troy had put his truck in park when they reached her house. Pain flared up her knee when she fell onto her walkway but she scrambled to her feet and unlocked the front door. Voices could be heard from farther in the house and Gabriella didn't bother to shut the door or see if Troy followed behind her as she ran through the foyer. Her heart stopped in her chest with a painful thump as she saw her mother and a man she saw a lot in her nightmares, her father talking on furniture across the coffee table from each other. Time slowed down as her eyes scrutinized her father from almost four years ago and then time sped back up with remarkable clarity.

"Gabriella, ah you sure made it home fast. Did Troy drive you home?"

Bile rose in Gabriella's throat as her anxiety spilled forth from the knot she had clenched in her stomach. She couldn't answer or respond to her mother even if she wanted to and she fled from the doorway. Troy flashed by in her vision as she ran past him to the stairs and up to her room. The sound of her door shutting with a sharp snap could be heard down on the ground level and Troy shut the front door behind him as he left.

* * *

Troy knew that something had shaken Gabriella down to her core and when she tore out of his truck before the truck could stop, he knew what had caused her such distress. Sorrow, anger and actual physical pain for her ached in every one of his bones as he saw her fall in her mad haste to get to the door. Troy followed her into her house and saw her father sitting as calm as could be in the comfortable leather chair in the Montez's living room. Her reaction should have been expected and he should have caught her and held her fast in the security of his arms but Troy's eyes were fixed on the eyes of Gabriella's father. Troy took his leave after his angel fled from the scene and slipped into the back garden of the household, careful to keep the gate from slamming.

"Please don't hide from me Gabriella."

The climb up the large maple tree filled him with tense suspense instead of the usual comfort and his countenance fell as he saw Gabriella when he reached her balcony. Gabriella lay in her bed in what appeared to be just Troy's old practice jersey and plain white cotton underwear. If the situation wasn't so somber and serious Troy would have to wait until she changed into more clothes but her tear stricken face quenched his hormones and ravenous desire.

Her balcony door swung open at his touch and he kicked off his shoes before he joined her on the bed. When she didn't move, Troy scooped up her little form to lay on top of his and held her slender hips in his large hands. He hissed as the smooth skin of her body melted under his hands and he squelched the desire to explore more of her body. Gabriella didn't seem to notice his moment of weakness as her eyes continued to leak tears, listless and emotionless. Her body was formless around his, on top of his and their legs tangled together but she didn't snuggle into him, didn't trace the contours of his chest through his shirt like she always did when they were like this.

"Brie?"

Troy's mind watched the violent playbacks of what he could have done to the man once called Gabriella's father. The anger and frustration that flowed through his veins ran its course though and protectiveness, love and desperation replaced the violent emotion now. The broken angel that lay on top of him in his arms occupied his thoughts now and the fact that she hadn't spoken or moved since he first saw her worried him.

All he could do was hold her tight in his embrace as the memories from her broken past played on repeat in her mind. He knew without a shadow of a doubt that the memories she had buried deep within her mind were being played before her eyes as they had done so two months ago the first night Troy had seen Gabriella. Their meeting was bittersweet in Troy's mind and he didn't like to dwell upon it or speak about what had happened after their initial meeting on the dance floor.

"Gabriella, mija, may I come in?"

Troy tensed on the bed and his mind raced as he tried to figure out a way to extricate himself from his precarious situation as he knew that although he stood in high regards with Ms. Montez, this scene right here would ruin that standing but Gabriella anchored him to the bed with a couple shifty movements of her body. The movement from her surprised him so much that he didn't notice when the new position pressed them closer together then they already were and he bit the inside of his lip to not groan aloud from the heady sensations. He tried to lift her hips to help relieve some of the temptations but Gabriella pressed closer to him in response and he had to stop in his efforts or the situation would worsen.

"Gabriella I'm sorry that I didn't tell you about your father's visit to Albuquerque. It could have made this situation a little better but I felt that if I did tell you then you wouldn't come home and your father wants to see you something awful."

Troy could understand Ms. Montez's reasoning but Gabriella tightened her hold on him and buried her face further into the crook of his neck. He knew that she would talk to her mother as soon as he left and her actions just now were her cry for comfort and protection. But he knew that this time the conflict and confrontation would make her stronger. Gabriella picked up on Troy's thoughts through his body language and Troy smiled at this because he could do the same to her if their positions were reversed.

"Give me a couple minutes to get ready and then I'll be down mama."

Ms. Montez's footsteps could be heard as she walked away from Gabriella's door and the quiet murmur of Gabriella's parents could be heard from the landing at the foot of the stairs but Gabriella didn't move. Troy ran his fingertips up and down her back to let her know that he would be with her through this and Gabriella kissed his neck before she released him from her hold. Troy's breathing came a little easier after she lifted her hips and he slid backwards on her bed until his back rested against the headboard.

Gabriella slid off her bed onto her feet and Troy's old practice jersey fell just above her knees. His breathing hitched as she lifted the jersey off her and he screwed his eyes shut before he could see anything. Gabriella giggled a soft giggle at his actions and Troy heard the rustle of her opening her drawers and pulling out clothes.

"I'm dressed Troy so you can open your eyes."

Troy didn't open his eyes because he knew that she liked to play tricks on him but his restraints crumbled away when she straddled him at the side of her bed and her body rested snug against his. Out of reflex he wrapped his arms around her lower back to support her weight and he groaned when she kissed him. Natural instincts took over and he pulled her closer still as he continued to kiss her. Something about her, the way she bared herself to him without restraint, the way she tasted, something made him want to never stop kissing her whenever they did and he wouldn't stop now even if Gabriella's father walked into her room right now.

"Mmmm. Troy…ah….we…I….mmmm…."

Troy's lips curved into a smug smile against the smooth, graceful column of her neck and he kneaded her lower back to keep her in this blissful state. He remembered that her mother and their uninvited guest sat downstairs and waited for them which dragged Troy's brain out of its haze. He lessened the passion and intensity of their kiss, which made Gabriella pout as she tried to follow him when he pulled away.

"Brie, your mother is waiting for us downstairs and I don't want her to come up the stairs and see us like this."

Gabriella rested her head against his chest and regained her ability to breath in normal breaths but nodded against his chest. Troy stood up and swung her into a comfortable hold with one arm supporting her lower back and the other locked under her legs. She sighed and laid her head against his chest as they walked out of her room. At the top of the stairs Troy set Gabriella down on her feet and they walked down side by side and hand in hand.

Ms. Montez stood up from her position on the couch and hurried over but shot a thankful look at Troy. He gave a slight nod but his eyes frosted over as he locked gazes with Thomas Montez and he let the twisted emotions inside of him flow out without restraint. The air in the room crackled between Troy's fierce countenance and Thomas's quiet but just as determined one.

"Troy this is Thomas Montez, Gabriella's father and he comes all the way from Boston Massachusetts to visit us again."

Troy tried to find a smile within himself but the memory of Gabriella's room and everything else flashed through his mind. He settled for a simple nod and held Gabriella tighter to him.

"Thomas."

Ms. Montez looked back over at her ex-husband and then to Troy, desperate to keep the atmosphere civil at least. Thomas Montez stood up and walked over to Troy and Gabriella but he stayed a respectful distance Troy presumed because of his daughter's initial reaction.

"You must be Troy Bolton the famous star basketball player of East High but I hear that you and my daughter have a talent for theater."

Troy's anger abated a little bit as Thomas Montez seemed to be well informed and he stored this in the back of his mind for later perusal but he kept his face frosty cold. Gabriella was counting on him to keep her safe and if keeping her safe killed him then so be it because there was no chance that he would risk the chance for a wonderful life because she got hurt.

"I don't perform that well in theater as acting is something that is still developing for me but you're right, Brie can do a hell of a song and dance routine."

Thomas Montez arched his eyebrows at the mention of "Brie" but whatever thoughts were running through his head at the moment he kept them locked away behind his eyes and he extended a hand for Troy to shake. A small rub on his back from Gabriella made Troy shake Thomas's hand albeit a little shaky and skeptical but he would sacrifice his pride and anger for his angel. Troy noticed that once the handshake was complete that Thomas looked down at Gabriella. Gabriella, credit to her recovery and fiery spirit met his gaze and Troy noticed this with a swell of pride.

"Hello Gabriella."

Gabriella nodded in response and snuggled further into Troy's side, which he was all too willing to oblige and Thomas's countenance fell. Served the man right as he had abandoned his two girls for what? What was more important than taking care of the women you said you loved and the daughter who's half of her genetic makeup was his?

Gabriella must have felt the tension that coiled higher and higher inside of him as she rubbed a circle on his lower back again and with a polite smile at her mother and Thomas, tugged Troy to her backyard. Once the door clicked shut behind them both teenagers relaxed and settled side by side on the hammock in between the oak trees. Troy used some of his pent up energy and kicked at random intervals to get the hammock swinging and Gabriella began to sing.

_Mother, mother can you hear me, I keep trying_

_Just to find me all I know now, all you show me,_

_Endless questions, hopeless ending_

_This bitter fear is pushing me away and now I feel_

_Like there's nothing left to say and I pretend to_

_Look the other way but in the end will I be okay,_

_Will I be okay_

_Father, father will you be there as I cry out_

_Silent again, turning colder, frozen deeper,_

_Numb to this dream sleeping within_

_Before I face another day, won't you let me stay asleep,_

_Lost among the dreams that always comfort me_

_And before I find my feet, won't you show me_

_What I need, what I need to walk again_

Troy lay back on the hammock when he knew that she wouldn't be singing anymore and just like in her room she lay on top of him, her body melded into his. The urge to protect her strengthened till he saw red when a single tear slid down her cheek.

* * *

_Story Edited on 4/25/12_


	4. Wildcat Showdowns

East High may as well be a conduit of untamable energy on the Friday of the state game between the East High Wildcats and the West High Wolves because even before Principal Matsui unlocked the doors, he felt a tingle shoot up his arm. The students poured inside the building in droves as a severe thunderstorm raged on outside and the hallways were filled with the excited chatter of the students. Troy Bolton had led his All-Star team through many hard, nail biting basketball games and now the West High Wolves were the last obstacle that stood in their way to hold the championship trophy. However, the limelight shone on another star performer and the students also gossiped about the much-anticipated showdown between Emma Stone and the new beautiful Latina Gabriella Montez at the schools callbacks set for this morning.

"Look here they come!"

As one the student body plastered their faces against the window, desperate to be the first to catch the golden couple and even a few teachers had to smile at the chemistry between the couple as they made their way through the storm to the safety of the building. Tradition had stated that all the boys on the basketball team needed to hand over one of their practice jerseys to their respective girlfriend and that said girl in due course would wear their boyfriends practice jersey. Sharpay and Taylor and stood on the inside of the front doors in their boyfriend's practice jersey's, ready to grab Gabriella so they could grill her about what she was wearing and get her ready for her audition but wide smiles broke out across their faces.

"Would you look at them? I doubt they even know the whole school is watching them right now."

Troy walked a few paces behind Gabriella as she danced and skipped her way to the front doors, sheltered from the pounding rain by a simple black umbrella. Her innocent white sundress flowed around her body as the fabric swayed with Gabriella's movements and Troy's signature blazer adorned her shoulders with the bold, thick white letters of BOLTON on the back. Even from a distance everyone could see that she would turn around and sing something to Troy which would be answered by what they presumed to be a chuckle, shake of his head and a loving smile. Troy himself wore his practice jersey, (the girls swooned as the jersey made his toned and defined muscles stand out) dark, heavy wash pair of jeans and he too held a black umbrella over his head.

Everyone heard Gabriella shriek with laughter when Troy sprinted forward, grabbed Gabriella around the waist with one arm and spun her through the air. The grace in the way her body poised in the air, one arm wrapped around the back of his neck and the other keeping the umbrella poised in a dramatic fashion above her head made a few cheerleaders turn green with envy and Ms. Darbus quirk an eyebrow in amazement. Because of the height difference, Gabriella stared down at Troy, her waist pressed against his chest and everyone caught the last verse of the song she sang to him.

_I do cherish you_

_For the rest of my life_

_You don't have to think twice_

_I will love you still_

_From the depths of my soul_

_It's beyond my control_

_I've waited so long to say this to you_

_If you're asking do I love you this much…_

_I do_

Troy turned his back on everyone in the windows to everyone's dismay and his form shrouded the couple in mystery but everyone could guess that he kissed his girlfriend then. Gabriella's melodic giggle could be heard and the couple walked hand in hand into the school under one umbrella this time. No student made to move as they stared with varying emotions at the couple and Gabriella blushed from their scrutiny. Sharpay moved forward with Kelsi and Taylor behind her and the crowd parted for the resident Ice Queen.

"You my dear Ella need to be like this all the time. The way you moved with or without Troy and sang just now…a sight to behold indeed."

Gabriella blushed a darker shade of red and buried herself into Troy's side but Troy smiled down at her. The silent conversation with their eyes caused an air of confidence to surround Gabriella and she smiled at Sharpay from underneath her long eyelashes.

"Thank you Sharpay but I didn't think that Troy and I would have an audience this morning. We were just so caught up from the events earlier this morning that I was in my own little world."

Troy wrapped an arm around Gabriella's shoulders and kissed the top of her head. Sharpay rolled her eyes but a smile crossed her face and she grabbed Gabriella's free hand. She pulled on her friend and Troy chuckled as he was pulled along too. The rest of the gang smiled, shook their heads and followed. Another morning in East High and the crowd parted when no more entertainment would be put on for them to see.

* * *

_Fourth Period. Just Before Lunch_

A spark of confidence settled in Gabriella's stomach as she stared back at herself in the bathroom mirror and she smiled for the first time since Troy left her side before classes started this morning. As soon as he left, students descended on her like she would disappear in the moment and peppered her with so many questions she couldn't even remember half of them.

The anxiety had gotten to be too much and she fled to the bathroom for solitude and her old reflex to make herself puke. The bile came on its own this time however and Gabriella was proud of herself for not purging as she would have done a month or two ago. The bathroom door slammed open and a wild-eyed Sharpay Evans stormed into the bathroom with Taylor and Kelsi behind her.

"Gabriella Marie Montez you better not have been purging! If I find out that you did you're going to be in so much trouble that even your knight in shining armor Troy won't be able to protect you."

Gabriella turned and smiled at the three of them with an amused light in her eyes. Taylor and Kelsi's anxiety softened at Gabriella's reassuring smile and they both sighed in relief.

"Sorry Sharpay, the old Gabriella may have done the evil deed you think I did but I didn't. The bile came up on its own this time and that's all over and done with."

Sharpay's eyes widened and then a proud smile crossed her face. She strode forward, grabbed Gabriella's arm underneath her elbow and marched her back into the hallway.

"Good because you go on in five minutes and Emma just finished singing. She was excellent of course but what would you expect from a girl that is given singing lessons every day? Of course you'll do better because your prettier than she is and you have untapped potential…gwah what the hell am I babbling on about? Get up there and sing girl!"

Gabriella broke into a fit of giggles at Sharpay's overdramatic monologue and she failed to take a more careful look at all the sound equipment set up around the stage. She grabbed the microphone from the stagehand and with a nod from Ms. Darbus began to sing.

* * *

Troy sat in study hall just before lunch and shook his head as Emma Stone finished singing on the TV. The cafeteria broke out into cheers and applause but his eyes were focused on the curtain in the background. Chad had stopped teasing him long ago when Troy hadn't responded to his ribbings and Troy sighed in relief as his girlfriend's breathtaking form appeared on the media screen.

"Hello, my name is Gabriella Montez and I'll be singing my…a song called the _Last Night_."

Wait Gabriella had written the song she was about to sing? All thoughts vanished from Troy's mind as his girlfriends voice filtered through the room.

_You come to me with scars on your wrist_

_You tell me this will be the last night feeling like this_

_(I just came to say good-bye)_

_(I didn't want you to see me cry, I'm fine)_

_But I know it's a lie_

_This is the last night you'll spend alone_

_Look me in the eyes so I know you know_

_I'm everywhere you want me to be_

_The last night you'll spend alone_

_I'll wrap you in my arms and I won't let go_

_I'm everything you need me to be_

The cafeteria had fallen as quiet as a tomb and everyone pressed closer to the TV's, eager to hear more of this angel's voice.

_Your parents say everything is your fault_

_But they don't know you like I know you_

_They don't know you at all_

_(I'm so sick of when they say)_

_(It's just a phase, you'll be o.k. your fine)_

_But I know it's a lie_

_This is the last night you'll spend alone_

_Look me in the eyes so I know you know_

_I'm everywhere you want me to be_

_The last night you'll spend alone_

_I'll wrap you in my arms and won't let go_

_I'm everything you need me to be_

_The last night away from me_

Such sadness radiated in Gabriella's voice that Troy knew by instinct that she was singing of her relationship with her parents and then him. She had told him last night when he had badgered her non-stop that the song had a bit of him in the verses and then had fallen silent on the subject. Not even a heated kiss and a bite to her neck convinced her to divulge more and now Troy knew why.

_The night is so long when everything's wrong_

_If you give me your hand_

_I will help you hold on_

_Tonight, tonight_

_This is the last night you'll spend alone_

_Look me in the eyes so I know you know_

_I'm everywhere you want me to be_

_The last night you'll spend alone_

_I'll wrap you in my arms and I won't let go_

_I'm everything you need me to be_

_(I won't say goodbye)_

_(And I'll be your reason why)_

_(The last night away from me)_

The noise deafened Troy as everyone clapped, cheered and whistled when Gabriella walked off the stage at the end of her song and Troy smiled. A few minutes later Sharpay led Gabriella into the cafeteria to tumultuous applause and the cafeteria shook with the amount of noise from all the well wishers. People swarmed Gabriella and everyone wanted to touch Gabriella or have her undivided attention but Troy knew she wouldn't let this go to her head.

His girl was too good and pure for a small recognition for her astounding talent to let her ego swell even if she deserved it. He stood up from his seat at the table and the hall fell silent as he walked in between the rows of people. Gabriella looked up from the ground for the first time and with a gentle nudge from one of the girls she flew into Troy's arms. He wrapped his arms around her tight and swayed from side to side.

"Was that song about your parents?"

Gabriella sniffled and pressed her face into his shoulder.

"Yeah I wrote the song long before my dad showed back up but I changed the whole song last night after you left. Sorry about that by the way."

Troy chuckled and kissed the top of her head. He knew that she wouldn't have shown him the real version of the song even if he lay on his deathbed and his smile widened as people's eyes widened at the thought that Gabriella herself wrote that song. A girl stepped forward and Troy raised his eyebrows.

"Wait, Gabriella, _you _wrote that song?"

Gabriella looked up from Troy's shoulder and her eyes glistened with tears still but that was the one thing that let everyone know that she was crying.

"Yeah I wrote that. I didn't think that the song was all that great but-"

"That song was fantastic. Do you think that you could stay after some time and help us out in choir?"

A smile broke out across Gabriella's face and she nodded her head but didn't relinquish her hold on Troy.

"Sure."

* * *

_After School. State game of East vs. West. Fourth Quarter._

Troy sat slumped over on the bench in the locker room and hung his head in his hands. He and his teammates had been playing the game of their lives tonight but so were the West High players and they were leading the game with a two point lead over the Wildcats. Troy had been on fire on the court and his teammates, inspired by his caliber of play had matched his enthusiasm to the letter but it wasn't enough. Coach Jack Bolton leaned against the iron spacer and smiled.

"All right boys let's get something straight. Forget about the X's and the O's. Forget the scoreboard and forget the previous three quarters. You boys have fought tooth and nail to get to this point and the entire far side of the gym is filled with your support base. These people came here for a show and you gave them a good one but you need to show them something spectacular. Captains."

Troy looked up and his eyes threatened to bug out of his head as Gabriella stood before him. She smiled and took his battered hand where a West High player had slammed him into the bleachers and started to redo the taping. Once finished with that she stood up on her tiptoes, kissed him on the cheek and moved on to Chad. After a little glare from Gabriella the six foot shooting guard sat down on the bench and Gabriella applied some medical cream to his shoulder where another West High player had hit him when the ref wasn't looking. Wildcat by wildcat Gabriella moved around the confined space and fixed up their battered forms. Troy felt the energy in the room shift to the lighter side and stood up with Chad.

"Alright gents, Coach is right. We need to pull something spectacular out of our as…butts and show the gym who the best is."

Troy modified his speech when Gabriella turned around and glared at him from her spot near a freshman. The guys chuckled but focused back in on Troy.

"Chad you got the defense on this one but leave the offense to me. Guys, we keep running them all over the court but we're moving too fast for our passes to complete. Keep up the passing speed but we need to slow down and catch the ball before we move forward. Get the shooters on the outside and someone give Zeke the da…darn ball so we can get some firepower on the inside."

After another glare from Gabriella and respective chuckles Troy stepped back and let Chad step forward to give the defensive strategy.

"Well as Troy said…"

Troy tuned him out since he knew what Chad was going to say and locked eyes with his girlfriend. He drew strength from her eyes and the fact that she wore his practice jersey with a white tank top underneath. She wore a short jean skirt and he smiled as he caught himself before he drooled again at the sight of her tanned, golden legs.

"Let's go boys and give them a show they've never seen before."

* * *

Troy caught the chest pass from a sophomore named Carl and sprinted down court with the ball. The West High players' defense sprang into action and Troy duped one with a spin. He grinned as Chad shook his defender and jumped high into the air by the rim. Troy placed the ball on his back and shot it over his head with a forward lean. Chad caught the alley-oop pass and slammed the basketball into the rim. Troy chest bumped him as they ran back down the court and Zeke used his incredible agility for his height to leap into the air, his hand outstretched and bat the ball away as a West High player tried to add another three points to their score. Jason caught the ball and half court passed down to the sophomore. The sophomore caught the ball, made an easy layup and hit the floor with a thud when a West High player shoulder rammed him out of the air.

"Foul!"

Troy grinned as the Wildcat crowd screamed out in anger and the intensity of the moment. The sophomore lined up on the foul line and drained both shots. Troy pumped his fist into the air and teamed up with Jason as they initiated a half-court press. The West High point guard, Andrew grew flustered and committed an offensive foul as he tried to drive through Troy. Troy took control of the ball and cut through the frantic West High defense. In and out he bobbed as he tried to force the opposing players to make a mistake but they all knew him too well and the shot clock wound down. He saw his opportunity when Andrew fell for a quick feint and Troy spun off him. He jumped away from the three point line, let the ball fly off his fingertips and then he saw stars on the gymnasiums ceiling.

"Oomph!"

His vision grew foggy and he squinted his eyes against the glare of the harsh lights. A hand extended down towards him and another pair of hands hauled him to his feet. Once the blackness began to clear he saw his father in front of him and the intense stare that made his father who the coach he is today bore down on him. Troy pushed the flare of pain in his side down and nodded his head once at his father. Jack Bolton nodded once back at him and Troy watched as Andrew was ejected out of the game.

"Alright son you get three foul shots. You sure you're okay to play?"

"Let me have those shots ref."

The ref cracked a proud smile and blew his whistle three times. Troy looked up into the crowd and the crowd roared back at him in support. Gabriella stood up from her courtside seat and the worry in her eyes made him smile. He winked at her and she smiled back at him, the relief transparent now. With Gabriella's face in the center of the rim Troy drained all three shots and the buzzer sounded. Elation coursed in Troy's veins and he threw his head back, eyes screwed shut and both arms thrown out as his primal yell of victory tore its way out of his throat. His feet left the floor as the crowd lifted him off his feet and all five starters were lifted into the air as well.

"Wildcats!"

"You're the man Troy!"

"Way to go!"

Troy's ocean blue eyes locked with mocha, gold speckled brown and he smiled his crooked grin. A blush erupted on Gabriella's cheeks and she wrapped her arms around herself but an adoring smile answered him. The crowd set him on his feet and Troy pushed his way through the crowd to get to his girl. Their bodies collided and their lips crashed together in a passionate kiss but mad grins stretched across both of their faces. Troy forced her to wrap her legs around his waist and he hauled her little form up his much bigger one as he tried to fuse their bodies together without breaking the kiss.

"Congratulations Wildcat."

Troy kissed her forehead and closed his eyes to hide his tears as her soft and confident compliment made all the pain he just suffered through worthwhile. This is why he played his heart out every time. This is why he suffered through hell week during the summer and long practices in the winter. He wanted to impress his girl and put on a show that would make her want to come back again and again to see some more.

"Well Bolton, I'm told by my coach to come over here and offer you your due congratulatory words for cheating your way too another win and state championship. I don't think I need to though as this girl is doing such a spectacular job. Who is she?"

Anger coursed through Troy's veins at the leering tone in which Andrew spoke but the positive feelings inside of him won over.

"I'm Bolton's girl."

Troy tightened his hold on the back of her legs and chuckled at the crestfallen look on Andrew's face and half of his teammates at Gabriella's words. None of them would now dare lay a hand on Gabriella as Troy's temper and fists were just as well respected as his southern gentlemen manners and skill on a basketball court.

"Thank you for your congratulations Andrew and good luck in your summer training in a few months. However, I must bid you and your teammates a hearty farewell as we have an after-game celebration to get to. After all, she is my girl."

* * *

_Story Edited on 4/25/12_


	5. After Party

The water droplets ran down his face and Troy tilted his face up under the steaming spray of the shower in the Wildcat locker room. He wouldn't tell anyone but the blow that Andrew had given him right before the game ended had knocked him for a loop in more ways than one and his entire right side was one big bruise. The bruise itself reminded Troy of one of Sharpay's fashion designs when she had been on a kick which involved the deepest shades of black and purple. He chuckled to himself as he looked to his left side and saw his new tribal design tattoo with the word HONOR mixed in the design. His father had allowed him to get the tattoo that Troy so craved under the assumption that Troy would play his hardest in the game an hour ago and hand him the State Championship trophy.

_"Let's not tell your mother right away now okay Troy? I want to tell her when she sees your tattoo down at the Keys this summer and she's sipping the fruity little drinks we're going to buy her."_

Troy had laughed along with his dad and agreed without a moment's hesitation. No one had known of or seen his tattoo except his father and if he played his cards right then no one would for a while. Troy finished in the shower and after drying off, threw on a pair of dark wash jeans and a black muscle tee. He put his bathing suit on underneath as the after party would be at Sharpay's mansion and swimming was bound to be included. The thought of Gabriella in a bikini had him hot under the proverbial color and the image of her in his practice jersey and white cotton panties flashed unbidden into his mind.

"Get a grip Troy."

With a last glance around the locker room Troy locked the door behind him as he headed towards his truck in the school's parking lot.

* * *

Gabriella's face turned twisted into a grimace as she was forced to sit on a stool in Sharpay's massive bathroom and be subjected to endless torture by the blonde diva and her friends. Even Kelsi was in on the 'Gabriella-Barbie' moment and Gabriella fidgeted.

"Hold still Ella. You act like we're torturing you or something. We'll be done in a minute, I promise."

"That's what you said ten minutes ago Sharpay! Come on, why do I need to get all dressed up for an after party that I won't even be attending that much of?"

Gabriella plastered her tiny hands over her mouth and her eyes widened. Every girl in the bathroom stilled and three pairs of eyes bore holes into Gabriella's slender frame. Gabriella tried to give a smile but the motion felt weak even to her and she slumped over on the vanity table in defeat.

"Where. Are. You. Going. Dearest. Ella?"

Gabriela didn't even flinch at the deceptive sweetness in Sharpay's voice and didn't move. How could she betray Troy's trust in her like that? Troy had snagged Gabriella away from the crowd and walked over to a quieter section of the gym. He had told Gabriella to wear her swimsuit as after the initial meet and greet, he was going to kidnap his fair lady and spirit her away to the beach on the limits of the city. Gabriella had squealed in excitement as going to the beach was one of her favorite things to do but she hadn't had the opportunity to go there yet and jumped up and down in excitement.

"I…um, have some other plans for later tonight but I promise to stay for the first hour of the party?"

Sharpay advanced back towards Gabriella and resumed her ministrations with Gabriella. Gabriella didn't fuss this time and looked down at her hands, which were in her lap. True to her word this time Sharpay finished in a minute and spun Gabriella around so she could look at her with a pointed glare complete with hands on her hips. Gabriella wondered for a moment if that was a safe thing to do as she had a curling iron in one hand but decided not to voice her comment and wait for the impending doom.

"Where's Troy taking you? I thought that your request to wear your bathing suit was a little odd but I brushed the notion off as we are going swimming later tonight. Now I know that I was right in the beginning and you're going to tell us."

The doorbell rang and Sharpay's hostess instincts sprang into action as she dashed out of the bathroom but not without another pointed glare at Gabriella. The Latina gulped and with shaky legs followed her blonde haired friend out of her room. She felt conspicuous as there were already fifty people on the ground floor and every pair of eyes zeroed in on her. A small measure of relief spread through her when Taylor and Kelsi materialized at her sides and with their help maybe she could make it through the designated hour until Troy arrived.

The odd telepathy that the couple shared must have gotten stronger as loud cheers of "Troy's here!" filled the floor and a familiar, well muscled pair of arms wrapped around her waist. Gabriella giggled at Sharpay's eye roll but sank back against him and bit back a moan as he bit a rather sensitive spot on her neck. The sexual tension between her and Troy grew more intense as they spent each waking moment with each other and Gabriella grew more terrified of what may happen in the following weeks.

"Troy my man! How are you?"

With Troy's focus elsewhere Gabriella knew that she could delve into her thoughts and try to sort out the mess she found herself in. She trusted Troy without hesitation and maybe more than what was healthy at her age but the little caveat of sex held a special place in her heart. As of right now she couldn't see herself giving away her virginity to anyone else but even with the emotional and physical trust that she shared with Troy, Gabriella didn't feel ready to take their relationship to that intimacy. If she followed her heart and her body then she wouldn't hesitate to make the proper excuses and take Troy up to a spare bedroom so she could ravage his delectable body senseless but her mother had taught her how to heed her mind as well.

Right now her mind told her that the both of them weren't ready for anything of that nature because even though Troy was raised with the perfect gentlemen manners of a good old Southern boy, Gabriella caught the sidelong glances he would shoot at her when he thought she wasn't looking. She knew that his iron control on his desire and sexual feelings were coming undone and she fell right along with him.

"Want to go outside Brie? Get out of this stuffy and noisy room so we can hear ourselves talk?"

A loud crash and many voices yelling drew Gabriella's attention to the front door and she felt Troy's arm arms tighten around her a considerable amount. Andrew, the point guard of the West High varsity basketball team filled her vision when she looked up and she raised her eyebrows at Sharpay. Andrew and the five varsity starters muscled their way through the door and into the living room where Troy and Gabriella stood. Gabriella tilted her head to the side and stared at him with curious eyes.

* * *

_Andrew POV_

I knew that crashing the after party at the Evans mansion would be a bad idea but the feeling of loss from tonight's game still chafed me the wrong way and the image of the fricken goddess that Troy claimed as his girl wouldn't leave my mind either. Goodness gracious how did that wimp land such a catch as that bombshell of a girl? There was just no way, he had to be lying and I was dead set on proving him wrong.

I looked up into the living room and my jaw clenched in unbridled frustration. That dick Troy Bolton wasn't lying when he said that the goddess was his girl as I had a clear line of sight on their cuddling in the middle of the Evan's living room that must have substituted as the dance floor.

"Andrew. A little far from your stomping grounds don't you think?"

I ignored Troy's comment and my eyes ravished the girl that he held in a protective embrace in his arms. My blood boiled in my veins as I drew a ragged breath at her exotic beauty and sensual vibe she let off. The red strappy heels coupled with the ripped jean mini-skirt she wore made her legs seem like they went on for miles and I clenched my fists to my sides. The silky red blouse she wore shimmered in the room's lights and her bathing suit strap could be seen as it was tied behind her neck.

I almost swallowed my tongue when she turned around for a moment to stare at Troy and the blouse cut low on her back and tied off three or four inches above her waist. Tendrils of her brown tresses tumbled down onto the graceful column of her neck and her makeup must have been what the girls called smoky or whatever. I strode closer and bounced off Troy as he pushed Gabriella behind him to halt my advance.

"Get out of the way Bolton. I want to have a conversation with the girl here."

"And what if she doesn't want to speak with you Reynolds?"

I stepped closer and Troy's and mine faces were inches apart from one another but he had the two inch height advantage on me so he won the blasted stare down.

"What? Not going to let your girl speak for herself?"

"Well when you stare at her like she's a piece of meat instead of the angel from heaven that she is, why should I let you?"

Okay I could agree with Troy with the angel from heaven line as her looks backed up his statement but first impressions were everything and this girls first impression was anything but angel like. Being all twisted up on Troy like that and attacking his mouth like that, no way would she be an angel.

"Andrew would you like something to drink or eat?"

I did a double take as the girl walked out of Bolton's embrace after a look at him and stood in front of me. Now that she stood up close I could see the chocolate brown of her eyes and the full poutiness of her lips. How _did_ Bolton manage to stake a claim on this girl? I looked up and saw everyone take a step closer to this girl as if they were making ready to protect her from me and I narrowed my eyes. This girl must have been well liked or popular at East High to make _everyone_ on edge by being this close to me and I sighed.

"What's your name?"

"I'm sorry where are my manners? Good evening Andrew Reynolds, my name is Gabriella Montez and I'm a junior at East High. As I'm sure that you've noticed, we were having a party to celebrate the basketball game tonight and to honor the intensity at which the game was played. You played excellent tonight and I would hate for you to leave here hungry as Sharpay has ordered way more than enough food for all of us."

I could feel the anger lessen in my veins and I felt my fists uncurl from the tight fists that they were in. Man, this Gabriella girl had a way of calming me down and I've known her for just a couple of hours. I caught Troy's frosted glare and even with the best case scenario of my team and his team slugging it out here without the additional help of the pitiful Wildcats, the odds weren't that good. Each one of the starting five players on the Wildcats had formed some sort of honor guard like from one of those freakish anime shows or something. With them being up and ready to fight to protect Gabriella there was just no way me and my boys would win.

"Yeah, we'll make sure to kick Wildcat ass next time. Better change your colors there sweetheart, I wouldn't want you to be on the losing team."

Now filled with a sense of muted anger and the strong desire to win the championship next season, I jerked my head towards the door and my boys and I got up out of there. I shot one last glance over my shoulder at the breathtaking Gabriella Montez and then disappeared back over to the West territory.

* * *

_Back with Troy_

Troy watched Andrew Reynolds leave and he almost lost his self control when the West High captain decided to spare his girl one last glance over his shoulder. Small hands curled around his biceps and Troy looked down to see Gabriella smiling at him and rubbing soothing circles on his arms. One look at her and Troy forgot all about Andrew Reynolds and he pulled her close so he could take in the scent that he loved so much. Cheers broke out in the Evan's mansion and everyone swarmed Gabriella. Troy had to smile as his girl tapped on his lower back in a signal to get her out of this mess and he nodded once to Sharpay. The blonde diva looked confused for a moment but then caught on and moved up a couple stairs on the grand staircase.

"Alright we can celebrate with our little hero Ella later. Shut it Zachary, I'm the only one able to call Gabriella, Ella and I wouldn't call her Brie either. Anyhoo, dinner is being served in the next room and I suggest all of you get over there before the lunkead Danforth eats all of the food."

The crowd dissipated from around Gabriella and Troy in their haste to get to the delectable spread that Sharpay's kitchen staff had provided. Gabriella and Troy waited for everyone to disappear into the other room and then Gabriella tugged as hard as she could on a laughing Troy's hand in a desperate attempt to leave the mansion. She could see three pairs of curious eyes peeping from around the framework of the doorway in the next room and she knew that they had precious little time to make their escape.

"Troy, the girls are staring at us and unless you want them to know tonight's plans may I suggest we take our leave?"

Troy wrapped an arm around her shoulders and she leaned into his side in an attempt to get her strength back after her confrontation with Andrew. They walked out of the room and ran out the back door to where Troy had parked his truck. Gabriella clambered in and Troy fired up the truck. With one last grin, the couple disappeared into the night.

* * *

_Three Hours Later_

Troy parked his truck back in Sharpay's circle driveway, clambered to the passenger side door after hopping over the bed of his truck and opened the door for Gabriella with a dramatic bow and flourish of his hand. Gabriella giggled, stuck out her hand and with Troy's assistance stepped out of the truck.

Troy smiled his famous goofy, lopsided smile at his girl and she stood on tiptoes to straighten his black tie. Sharpay's party for the masses had ended about an hour ago and now the gang of six was all that were left. The blonde diva had insisted that the six of them have an informal ball to close the evening and even though the idea struck Troy as wacky and crazy, one look at his girl's excited brown eyes and he agreed without hesitation.

Now he stood in a black, tux, white button down shirt and black dress pants complete with shiny black dress shoes. Sharpay had fitted measurements for everyone in the gang except Gabriella as Sharpay's impromptu events were spontaneous and random. Gabriella was left to decide what she would wear and her mother had helped her out.

"Let's sneak around the back and hang out there for a bit as I'm sure Sharpay isn't done yet and neither are the other girls."

Gabriella beamed up at him and they linked arms as they walked through the garden entrance onto the Evan's grounds. Troy stopped their silent stroll through the gardens in front of the large fountain and spun Gabriella away from him but kept their hands linked. He took a deep breath to calm his nerves and gave his girl a soft smile that he would share with no one else.

_Take my hand, I'll take the lead_

_And every turn will be safe with me_

_Don't be afraid, afraid to fall_

_You know I'll catch you through it all_

Troy smiled at the amazement and happiness in Gabriella's eyes and spun her close to him so he could wipe away the tears that had misted in his angel's eyes. He didn't like to sing but he couldn't help that this girl made him feel like he could reach beyond the status quos of East High and bring out a new side of him.

He could feel the warmth of Gabriella's blush on her cheeks from the intimacy of the moment and she moved in perfect harmony to the unspoken rhythm of the dance they shared. Troy knew that he couldn't do this with anyone else but the magic of the moment gave him the knowledge to move his feet in the steps of a waltz. Gabriella looked up behind her at Troy and he nodded.

_And you can't keep us apart_

_(Even a thousand miles, can't keep us apart)_

_'Cause my heart is_

_(Cause my heart is)_

_Wherever you are_

Troy closed his eyes as Gabriella's sweet voice echoed into the night and he heard the lower tones of his voice mix in as well. Sharpay had once told him that he should try out for the musical and he had always been polite and jested that he didn't want to upstage her. However, Sharpay had shaken her head and when this conversation would come up would always wag her finger but Zeke would come to the rescue with a crème bole.

_It's like catching lightning the chances of finding someone like you_

_Its one in a million, the chances of feeling the way we do_

_And with every step together, we just keep on getting better_

_So can I have this dance (can I have this dance)_

_Can I have this dance?_

Troy snuck another glance at Gabriella and his blue eyes darkened as the passion inside of him burned hotter at Gabriella's breathtaking form. She wore a black and silver dress that did little to hide the curvy form underneath but didn't show any more than two or three inches of her cleavage and her black strappy heels accentuated her long legs. The dress dipped low in the back and her hair had one or two tendrils hang low on each side of her face but the rest sat on top of her head in a messy bun. Troy caught the teasing light in Gabriella's eyes and pulled her closer as the next verse of the song came up.

_Oh no mountains too high enough, oceans too wide_

_'Cause together or not, our dance won't stop_

_Let it rain, let it pour_

_What we have is worth fighting for_

_You know I believe, that we were meant to be_

Gabriella's gentle and subtle leading impressed Troy as his body followed her movements on its own accord and he gave himself over to her charm without a care in the world. This is what the feeling of love must be like and Troy found himself falling deeper and harder in love with one Gabriella Marie Montez with each step that they took, each word that they sang and each moment he stared into the depths of her eyes.

_It's like catching lightning the chances of finding someone like you (like you)_

_Its one in a million, the chances of feeling the way we do (way we do)_

_And with every step together, we just keep on getting better_

_So can I have this dance?_

_(Can I have this dance?)_

Troy pulled Gabriella close now as the song was about to finish and she wrapped her arms around his neck. Their bodies fit together like a jigsaw puzzle and the world around them faded.

_Can I have this dance?_

_Can I have this dance?_

_Can I have this dance?_

Troy bent down to kissed Gabriella and a shiver shot through his body like a warm current as he caught the last vibrations of the words she just sang. He kept the kiss gentle and sweet, nothing at all like the inferno of passion raging inside of him right now and tried to take as much of her in as he could in these brief moments. Gabriella pulled away and the couple had a silent conversation with their eyes.

"I love you Wildcat. Thank you."

Troy's face cracked out into a smile and he blushed as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Well, um, I don't do this sort of thing you know…but I don't know. It was like magic to be and with the way you looked then and now. Come on stop staring! Um…darn it all to hell."

Troy crushed Gabriella to him and the inferno inside of him spilled over as he took from her what he wanted in a greedy need. Gabriella moaned against his mouth and submitted to his ravenous desire, intent on enjoying this reckless Troy as he let himself go.

"I love you too Brie. Don't ever forget that."

A loud squeal erupted from behind the bushes and out tumbled Sharpay along with the rest of the gang. Troy pulled Gabriella to him by natural reflex and stood in front of her to shield her from any harm but he relaxed as he saw the girls smiling faces and guy's smirks. Taylor held a video camera, which she shoved behind her back and all of them stood up.

"Oh my fricken goodness! You two have to be the cutest couple I've ever seen. And to think that the both of you told me that you couldn't sing or dance. Ryan, Kelsi you know what this means. Ms. Darbus is going to be so happy! I'm so happy!"

Zeke took a hold of Sharpay and crushed her back to his front in an effort to restrain what Troy nicknamed Sharpayness. Gabriella laughed but shook her head and came out from behind Troy. Troy wrapped his arms around her waist and she linked their fingers together over her flat stomach.

"Sharpay you aren't going to do anything of the sort. I don't sing that well or dance well enough to be considered an actor in that oh so hallowed hall."

"Nonsense Troy Bolton. You don't sing or dance because you don't want to. What do you think Ella?"

Troy looked down as Gabriella looked back at him and another silent conversation happened between them. Troy frowned a little and Gabriella blinked twice at him.

"I don't know if I have the talent right now Sharpay and I don't know until Monday if I even received the call back position. Let's wait until then okay?"

"Like you didn't get the callback position and for your second audition we'll just send in the little number you did right now. If you do get the callback position you do the play and convince Captain Lunkhead over there to do the same. If Emma by some miracle beats you out then I won't mention you singing or dancing ever again no matter how painful it might be."

* * *

_Story Edited on 4/25/12_


	6. Sensual Vixen & Slam Dunk Audition

Gabriella stretched as she woke up in her room and squinted when the bright sunlight hit her eyes. Her mind raced as she tried to remember why she laid in bed at 10:00 am instead of in…class! With that thought Gabriella threw her covers to the side, jumped out of bed and stood in front of her closet in a desperate haste to pick out an outfit.

"Mija sweetie what are you doing in such a panic?"

Gabriella didn't even turn around to acknowledge her mother as she decided upon a pair of skinny jean and graphic t-shirt and she sighed as she wanted to look special for Troy today but with the late start…this would have to do.

"Mom I'm so sorry! I'm late for school and…"

Ms. Montez walked into her daughter's room and took a firm but gentle grasp on her daughter's shoulders. Gabriella stilled and turned around as what her mother wanted. How her mother could be so calm about this intrigued Gabriella but she wanted to go finish her morning routine so she could get to school and be with Troy again.

"Gabriella, you don't have to be at school until noon. Troy explained this to you last night on the phone didn't he?"

Gabriella blushed a pretty shade of red and she hung her outfit back up in her closet. The conversation with Troy last night crashed back into her mind and she heard her mother chuckle. Coach Bolton had arranged for his team to have a half a day in celebration of their win last night at the championship game and Troy had begged his father so Gabriella could have the same. She smiled as she remembered how boyish and innocent Troy's excitement had been when they had their usual night conversation on the phone.

"Why don't you come on down to the kitchen and join your father and I for breakfast?"

Dread filled Gabriella's slender frame and her hand shot up to the T necklace Troy had given her for their one month anniversary. Her hand went to her hip next to call or text Troy to ask him to come to breakfast or get her out of the house but since she still wore her cotton pajama shorts she didn't have her phone. A cough from her mother made Gabriella look up into her mother's eyes and she wanted to cringe at the look there.

"Gabriella Marie Montez, you can't keep avoiding your father and having Troy rescue you. Your father traveled hundreds of miles to visit you and the least you can do is talk to him."

Under normal circumstances Gabriella would wilt, bow her head and mumble out an agreement but not this time. This time she felt anger bubble up inside her throat and as she remembered her new found friends and Troy's words of encouragement to talk about her feelings she felt her spine straighten with determination. She looked up, back into her mother's gaze and tilted her chin up into what she hoped to be a strong angle but not too defiant as she didn't want to put a rift between her mother and her.

"I am sorry mother that you feel as if I'm avoiding Thomas but I can't think of anything civil to say to him and he makes me want to go purge again every time we're in the same room. He told me before he left that he didn't think that splitting his time between business and family wasn't fair to him as each side was too demanding and that he had to pick one or the other. Guess what mom? He chose his bloody business and he left on the day of my big singing solo. I still took first place but even you commented on how sad the song was."

Gabriella walked around her mother, grabbed a towel and headed into the bathroom that adjoined her room. Her whole body shook as she hated when her mother and her disagreed about something but a strange lightness now rested on her thin shoulders as she had told her mother what feelings she harbored inside for her supposed father Thomas Montez. She heard her mother gasp and knew that her words cut deep into her mother's notion that over time Gabriella and Thomas might begin to develop the father daughter bond they once shared.

"I'm sorry that you and I don't see eye to eye on this mama but I just can't be around him right now. He is the reason why I'm so skinny and still unhealthy. Now, wherever I go I have to be mindful of the stares I receive and every time Troy and the gang take me out to a restaurant I feel their worried glances on me as I try to eat every morsel of food on my plate."

The feelings inside Gabriella became too much and the tears she had in her eyes threatened to fall even with her back turned to her mother. With the greatest effort she had ever known, Gabriella shut the door on her mother and walked further into the bathroom to take a shower. The warm water did little to soothe her tense muscles and the water streaming from the showerhead mixed in with the constant stream of tears pouring forth from her eyes.

After a while the effort became too much and Gabriella collapsed to the bottom of the tub with her knees pulled up to her chest and her arms wrapped around her legs. Fresh tears poured forth from her eyes and she did little to stem the tide of her emotions that she had held onto for so long. Troy Bolton may be her superhero but Gabriella didn't want to burden him anymore than she already was and she cried under the biting spray of the shower.

* * *

Troy parked his rusty, faithful red truck outside the Montez household and his eyebrows raised as he saw an expensive and flashy Mercedes Benz parked beside the Montez's van. Pain hit him dead center when he put two and two together and he found he couldn't get to the front door of the house fast enough. Thomas Montez was in Gabriella's house and Troy wasn't inside to protect his angel from whatever emotional turmoil Thomas's presence put her in. He knocked on the front door and after five anxious minutes (not that he kept checking his watch or anything) the door opened to reveal the anxious glare of Ms. Montez.

"Good morning Ms. Montez, I'm here to pick up Gabriella and drive her to school like I promised last night."

Fresh tingles of fear tingled up Troy's spine as Ms. Montez's anxious glare turned frosty cold and she didn't step back to let Troy in. Troy refrained from biting his lip or rubbing the back of his neck, telltale nervous habits of his and he stood under Ms. Montez's glare for another thirty seconds before she blinked.

"Her father is going to drive her in to school today Troy as they never have any time to spend together. Have a nice day."

The fear tingles raced up his spine in earnest now and he couldn't help the tears that slipped out of his eyes. He knew that Ms. Montez wasn't that angry with him as she was just upset with the lack of fruit in the relationship she was trying to grow between her daughter and ex-husband. With heavy feet Troy stumbled back into his truck and he slumped over the steering wheel, the tears pouring down his face.

No matter how hard he tried, something would get in the way of his total happiness with his girlfriend Gabriella Montez and he shook his head to clear out the thoughts that said maybe they weren't supposed to be together. No, this morning's setback wouldn't weigh him down, he would just have to work harder at making Gabriella smile as she was bound to be crushed when she found out that her ride into school this afternoon would be her father.

"I love you Gabriella Marie Montez. I'm not about to give up everything we shared and everything we have going for us. Believe me when I say all I want is to be with you."

* * *

Gabriella closed her makeup kit with a snap and smiled at her appearance in the mirror. An hour ago her mother had walked into her room and told her that Thomas was going to drive her into school this afternoon and that she had to be ready in one hour. Anger once again coursed through her veins at the desperate manipulation of her father to speak with her and she had slammed the door on her mother's retreating back.

Once her initial anger had run its course she decided that being grumpy and pissed off about the whole thing wouldn't help her in any way at all. That's when she decided that she would just have to make do with the given situation and she knew that Troy would be heartbroken as their morning's rides to school were special to them both.

With a newfound determination Gabriella tore into her closet and picked out her two outfits for the day. One for school and one for the audition later after school. Her mother and Thomas wanted to connive their way into trying to mimic the relationship between her and Troy with Gabriella and Thomas? So be it, but be prepared to meet with one pissed off sensual vixen in the meantime.

"Gabriella! You're going to be late for school if you don't hurry up. Come on down and grab your lunch. You're father's starting the car."

Gabriella spun around one more time in front of her body length mirror and had to grin a devilish grin. Poor Troy wouldn't know what hit him and her eyes twinkled with a long forgotten mischievousness at the thought of his reaction. Oh yes, Gabriella Montez had decided that she wouldn't be weak any longer and now was her time to shine at Troy's side.

With a last little jaunty wave at her reflection, Gabriella left her room and walked down the stairs. She felt her mother's shocked stare and Thomas's indignant one but she scoffed at the idea of him trying for the 'protecting my baby little girl' glare. He wanted to mess with her? Fine, Gabriella could dish out with the best of them.

"Bye mama. I'll be home later today because I have that audition after school and Troy can give me a ride home."

Gabriella kissed her mother's cheek and giggled at the twinkle of pride in her mother's eyes at Gabriella's taking control of the situation. Ms. Montez coughed to get her ex-husbands attention and Thomas's head jerked up from his glare at Gabriella. Ms. Montez pointed to the door and waved her hand. Gabriella walked out the door and slid into Thomas's Mercedes Benz with as much lady like grace as she could muster. Being a sensual vixen up in her room by herself was one thing but being that same vixen in the company of other's was another.

"What are you auditioning for today mija?"

Gabriella turned her head to glare at Thomas as they drove towards East High and she forced herself to keep her hands folded in her lap so she wouldn't give away her anxious state of mind to get out of the car.

"My name is Gabriella and I would appreciate it if you didn't call me anything but that. As for your question I have no idea what I'm auditioning for as my friend hasn't told me yet."

Gabriella could feel Thomas's hurt clear across the car and she smiled as she turned her head back to look out the window. She almost sighed out in relief as East High came into view and she contained her excitement as her father stopped the car outside the front doors. She could see a large group of people around the fountain in the central courtyard and her eyes twinkled as she discerned Troy's piercing blue eyes in the center of the mob.

"Have a nice day at school Gabriella. Maybe I can see you again soon?"

"No thank you Thomas. I fear you already have done enough damage to my life and now you have hurt Troy's. I don't want to see you again as you made it oh so clear you wanted a business empire over a family. Hope the cold hard cash you earn is a comforting thought to you."

Gabriella climbed up out of the low riding vehicle and shut the car door behind her with a click. She didn't look back to see Thomas's hurt expression as her eyes were focused on the boy that had stolen her heart.

She received many a lusty wolf whistle from the guys but none tried to make a move on her and she received mixed reactions from the girls. Although her ruby red dress clung to her body like a second skin, there were no revealing gaps or low necklines that revealed too much skin. Her strappy red heels clicked on the pavement of the sidewalk and the breeze carried her semi-straightened brown curls down across her shoulders.

Now that she walked in a straight line at Troy she could feel his passionate stare burn her to her core and when she looked up she saw the smile tugging at the corner of his lips. He reached out for her hand and she clasped his fingers as tight as she could with her smaller ones. Without a word they walked into the school and ignored the mass whispering behind them.

"I was wondering when I would see this side of you again as it has been a very long time I've seen this sexy vixen come out to play. I drove back to my house when I got your text message and changed before heading back to the school to meet you here."

Now that Troy mentioned his attire, Gabriella couldn't resist the urge to let her eyes roam his well dressed physique. His dark black button up shirt coupled with his dark wash, ripped jeans gave him a bad boy look that coupled well with his air of confidence and she had to resist the urge to drag him into a janitor's closet and kiss him senseless. He stopped by her locker and tilted her face up to his, his eyes twinkling with happiness and a trace of naughtiness.

"Stop undressing me with your eyes sweetheart or I may have to take you into a janitor's closet and have my wicked way with you."

Gabriella leaned up as he leaned down and fireworks exploded behind her eyelids as they shared their first kiss for the day. She moaned into his mouth and felt him swallow it with a needy groan of his own. She broke apart a minute later, her breathing ragged and her eyes half closed with passion.

"You know what Bolton? That offer doesn't sound that bad and we don't have to-"

Gabriella lost all reason to argue as Troy captured his lips with her own again and she decided to up the ante just a little. No one was in the hallway yet as Troy and Gabriella had their free period now and she ground her body into his. His reaction was immediate and had her grinning into the kiss. He pushed her back up against the lockers and caged her in against his body with his arms on either side of her head. Now this was the Troy that Gabriella fell in love with, smart, confident, driven and with as much passion to equal her own. This morning's harsh start was swept away as she lost herself in the ever so addicting Troy Bolton.

* * *

_After School in the Theater. Auditions._

Gabriella shook her head as she walked into the theater and found it packed with people looking for a spot in the craziness called the audition. They had formed a circle to stretch and she took her spot on the outside ring.

"She's here!"

Gabriella raised a single eyebrow at the random person that had let her presence be known. The people seemed to split at the same moment and made plenty of room for her to walk to the middle of the circle. Sure enough when she reached it, she found Emma with a smirk on her Barbie doll face. She felt at home as she ran through her stretches and she made small talk with the girls around her. Her choice of a pink wife beater, sports bra and black NordicTrack sweatpants suited her well as the other candidates were dressed in similar clothing. A shadow loomed above her but she ignored the presence and continued to stretch.

"How can I help you Emma?"

Gabriella looked up as she finished her ground stretches and met Emma's frosty glare with a proud twinkle in her eye. The audition tape that Sharpay had sent in to Mrs. Darbus had been well received and all throughout the half school day that Gabriella had, people were coming up to her and congratulating her on being such a wonderful performer. Needless to say Emma Stone wasn't happy when Gabriella's name was added to the final call back list and now she glowered at Gabriella with as much contempt she could muster.

"Mrs. Darbus asked me to settle the animosity between us in a way that doesn't break any of the rules here at East High. You want to settle our differences here and now?"

Emma smiled a deceptive, sweet smile at Gabriella with her question but her eyes bored through Gabriella's slender frame. Sharpay had sent in the tape of the song and dance Troy and Gabriella had performed without knowing they had an audience at the Evan's mansion last night.

"Yes that would take a load of stress off my shoulders and would leave me feeling nice and warm inside."

The girls on the outside of the circle laughed and Gabriella mirrored Emma's smile. Emma's face flushed for a moment while people chuckled but she wagged her finger and nodded her head.

"Then we battle for the final call back slot and I kick your ass."

Emma's smile turned dangerous and she tapped a rhythm on the C.D player with her manicured nails. Gabriella had no doubt that Emma had a spectacular routine planned out but now that her old confidence and passion flowed in her veins, Gabriella felt confident she could take Emma down.

"And we let the people decide."

Gabriella shrugged and tossed her bag to the floor. She stretched her arms out while she walked in a circle as Emma took off her light jacket and tied her hair back with a scrunchie.

"I thought we were dancing not stripping."

Gabriella added a smile with her comment and the girls giggled at Emma. Gabriela could have sworn that Emma flipped her off but the sound of one of her favorite songs blasting from the stereo distracted Gabriella and she closed her eyes. She moved her hips back and forth while she popped with the beat and Gabriella inched herself to her stomach. She might have to get a little sexy and out of character for this but it wasn't her fault Emma picked a good song to be sexy to.

_Shake shake just shake shake_

_Just shake shake_

_Just shake chica shake shake_

_Shake shake just shake shake_

_Just shake shake_

_Just shake chica shake shake_

With each shake and beat of the base, Gabriella would pound the floor with her fist and bounce her butt into the air. Her dance moves earned quite a few catcalls from the girls but she ignored them and concentrated on the rhythm of the music. Gabriella kept her face in the crook of her folded arm, counted the shakes out and planned out how she was going to get back up to her feet in her head. The moves she had planned wouldn't be easy but a powerful current of confidence flowed throughout her body.

_Mentirosa_

_Mentirosa_

_Mentirosa_

_Mentirosa_

_Dale juevo_

_Dale juevo_

She decided that she'd just wing getting back up, closed her eyes and began to tick her way into a sitting position on her knees. Gabriella rolled her stomach twice, bounced on her knees as hard as she could before she straightened her legs. She threw her hair so that it whipped, rolled her body up until she stood up straight and smiled at Emma.

"You're turn."

Emma huffed and wasted no time in jumping right in.

_Up in the club_

_Fuck VIP_

_P to the I...I to the T_

_Ying to the Yang_

_Up in this thang_

_D to the roc_

_My Nigga Kaine_

Emma's feet glided across the floor as she popped her arms in a rhythm that had the other girls cheering. No doubt Emma was an excellent dancer but she lacked the passion that was required to take the lead and Gabriella knew that she had it. Gabriella smirked as she bobbed her head with the beat and she knew that this was her element.

She could handle this with no problem and would let Emma know who the best dancer between them was. She watched as Emma turned her body around and began to 'try' to bounce her butt. That was one thing that Gabriella never understood why girls had problems with it. The movements were much easier than Emma portrayed them to be.

"Let me show you how to do it."

Gabriella cut in, moved back into the inner circle and hitched her sweats up just a bit so she could get some serious 'work' done.

_Up in the cut_

_Pouring it up_

_Rolling it up_

_Holding it up_

_Ain't her breast swollen or what?_

_Yes sir yes sir_

Gabriella spread her arms, rocked from side to side on her feet and popped just a little. She thought about her potential movements and fit them in her mind with precision that would make the most experienced choreographer proud. She couldn't win the battle all on popping her butt and could feel the people in the circle interest begin to wane. Battles did not work like that; Gabriella needed to make everyone believe that she could handle Emma and all of her crap.

_Oh we gonna take it back like thieves and foes_

_Nasty as I wanna be_

_That makes me 2 live for your crew_

_Hoe get down get low_

_I'm crossin these mammas like tic tac toe_

_Let's ride let's go_

_Get loose get crunk get drunk get blown_

_That's right let's roll_

_MIA ATL fo sho_

Gabriella did three heel toes before she twisted on her right foot and pushed away from her current position. During the tic tac toe part she paused for half a second on tic and tac, made a dramatic face before she back flipped on toe. The students went wild seeing as how she didn't land on her face and continued to dance. Gabriella made an A with her fingers, kissed the tips for the ATL part and blew the kisses at Emma.

_That ho's is fine but but but but this one's a killa_

_That ho's is fine but but but but this one's a killa_

_All the lil mamas all around the world_

_Shake that ass if you a nasty girl_

_Back that ass up says juvenile_

_Show a nigga some titties like girls gone wild_

_Tear off this clip of clothes; I wanna see you in the nude_

_You can keep on your high heel shoes_

_So follow me down to yellow brick road_

_Where niggaz go to see naked hoes_

Emma took on this whole entire verse by herself and she pushed Gabriella to the outside of the circle. Gabriella smirked; you never took a full verse during a battle because you would tire yourself out too fast. She watched Emma pull some of her best moves and Gabriella wiped a trickle of sweat from her brow. Her and Emma gave no quarter and their dancing was close but she had an idea. She needed one bigger move; something that would take the crowds breath away or make them laugh extra hard and end this battle before her stomach acted up.

_And be off in the club with a hard ass dick_

_Then drop like this bitch_

_If you wanna make the money shawty work that shit_

_Put a hump in your back_

_And lick it raw_

_To a 3 point stance_

_But you mess up yo ass_

_You must be on that Kanye work out plan_

_Like head shoulder knees hoes_

As Gabriella started to take her turn again, she began to do simple moves while she thought. There had to be something that would make everyone laugh and would get this over with. She swung her arm around in a sort of windmill fashion, put both hands on one knee and popped a couple of times.

The idea hadn't popped into her head yet and Gabriella began to get frustrated. The idea flashed into her head during the "…Kanye work out plan…" and she knew what move to pull. Also, she saw the back door the theater opened and knew that the if the person was a teacher then the battle had better end now. Gabriella grinned as she faced Emma face to face and just began to shake with a few fancy tweaks.

"Head."

Gabriella tapped her head.

"Shoulders."

Gabriella tapped her shoulders.

"Knees."

Gabriella placed both hands on her knees and faked as if she was going to pop again but instead she decided that a little clowning couldn't hurt.

"Hoes!"

Gabriella pointed both fingers at Emma and she bit her lip as most of the students chuckled. She prowled around the inside of the circle rallying up the crowd and shook her lithe body faster as each moment passed. She was just about to start dancing again when…the music shut off.

"Well now, I didn't know that you two girls could dance like that and I would have thought that you would have waited until the actual auditions to start performing. Gabriella and Emma, please follow me as I think we need to have a little chat."

Gabriella wiped the sweat off her face with a towel a freshman boy gave her and kissed his cheek in thanks. He turned scarlet and everyone else laughed but Gabriella patted him on the head. She dropped down off the stage after Emma and walked into a dressing room after Mrs. Darbus. Mrs. Darbus sat cross legged in a chair and indicated for both girls to take the seats across from her.

"Let me start out by saying that you both are fantastic performers and you make it very difficult to decide between you. However, I have just one spot left in this audition and one of you has shown the attributes in such a splendid fashion that I have no choice but to choose this young lady."

Gabriella crossed her fingers underneath her leg and bit her lip as Mrs. Darbus studied her notes again. Troy had been accepted with open arms after his audition and Gabriella prayed with all her heart that she would be able to perform next to him.

"Emma, you have been a prime candidate for the past three years and each year you bring the competition to a new level. Your singing is very good and your dancing is always a sight to see. However, your actions towards the other members of the cast are not very lady-like and your latest assaults on young Ms. Montez here have reached my ears when I looked through your disciplinary file."

Emma hung her head and Gabriella saw the tears in her eyes but a cough from Mrs. Darbus made Gabriella snap her head back up.

"Gabriella, you show up in my chapel for the arts and bring such an outstanding passion to the stage that you have wowed me beyond comprehension. Mr. Bolton is a staunch admirer and spokesperson for your talent but I was hesitant in believing his claims as they seemed too good to be true. Your singing is superb as each word that comes past your lips has such feeling behind it that your voice makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. Your dancing is also wonderful and I can see that the passion rules your every move. However, I sense that you are holding back and have a great fear in showing what you truly want to perform on the stage. This can't happen for any actor or actress and I have taken this into careful consideration."

Gabriella hung her head like Emma did a few minutes ago and could feel Emma's smug stare on her. Emma had said that Gabriella lacked the confidence to be a leading lady in any performance and that is why Emma would win the call back position. She tried to come up with an explanation for Troy as to why he would have to perform next to Emma instead of her but she kept seeing his sorrowful and disappointed blue eyes.

"Ms. Montez, I did not say that this was a attribute we couldn't work on."

Gabriella's head snapped up again and she saw a proud twinkle behind Mrs. Darbus's glasses. The old woman seemed to hum with excitement and she dared to let her hopes rise.

"You Ms. Montez have proved to me that you have the potential and attributes necessary to perform alongside Mr. Bolton in your audition today. Congratulations, you have won the final audition."

With a nod from Mrs. Darbus, Gabriella tore out of the dressing room and back out into the theater. She saw the entire gang sitting in the red plush chairs and when Troy saw her running to him he stood up. She jumped into his arms with a squeal and cinched his body to hers with a tight squeeze of her arms. Everyone else formed a circle around her and Gabriella's smile caused the rest of them to smile as well.

"I did it! I beat out Emma in the final callback!"

Sharpay and the girls squealed and jumped up and down while clapping their hands. Troy's grip on her tightened and she brushed aside a sweaty lock that covered his eyes. The confidence that shone in his piercing blue eyes warmed her to her toes and she squealed again. He tossed his head back, spun around with her still in his arms and laughed, his eyes bright with excitement for her.

"Well what would you expect? You are my girl after all and I would expect nothing less than a hundred percent effort from you. Congratulations Brie."

The air around them seemed to shield them from the outside world as Gabriella lowered her head and kissed him. The catcalls from their friends and the people on stage made them break apart but Gabriella giggled and waved to all the other people on the stage. She turned her attention back onto Troy and kissed him again.

"Yes, that's true. I am your girl."

**FIN**

* * *

**_Story Edited on 4/25/12_**


End file.
